Kallus Zero Hour
by Mistress Malica
Summary: This is what happened to Kallus during Zero Hour from his point of view. Extra scense will be put in as I felt quit a few thing was missed on the screen. Warning torture will be a part of this. Seriusly no Thrawn under characters?
1. Chapter 1

This is my take on Kallus through Zero Hour. There is a few I need to call out with a HUGE thank you. These are Moomkin your story was a great inspeation. MissKutsune08 for your wonderful lectures about Thrawn i really hope I have reflected that. AU Writer Girl for keeping up my urge to write this. Last but not least doodly-squat that also have my a take on the story and inspired me. Last but not least a thank you dear reader especially if you review.

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Kallus Zero Hour

I saw how Grand Admiral Thrawn, Guvnor Price and Admiral Konstantine walked towards the office and which made me activate the mouse droid to follow them. I manoeuvred the mouse droid to follow them until they made it to the office and then made it hide in the went where he could listen in on their conversation. In the meantime, I found a corner among a lot of boxes where it was likely I was spotted. I listened in while they talked about the rebels planned attack on Lothal which made me uneasy as I found out that Thrawn had found out somehow. Then I focused my ears as I heard that Thrawn had a spy on the rebel fleet that was ill news for the rebels. I could hear that they where not willing to believe that an attack was coming but Thrawn assured them and said he would destroy them. It made me shutter and become uneasy as I realised that they discussed the capture of the rebel leaders. Thrawn was protesting but I could hear that Tarkin was amend before the meeting ended. He looked around and was glad that anyone did not see me. I felt shaken by the fact that Thrawn knew and he had to find a way to warn the rebels or they would play right into Thrawn's hands. However, I would have to be careful not to be discovered or Thrawn might find their base it seemed like the only thing Thrawn lacked but until he could warn them he better go back to work and when I was relieved of my duty tonight I would warn them.

I flew a scoter through the silent night outside the city of Lothal while keeping an eye on being spotted. I seemed to have slipped away unnoticed and now was heading for where the young boy Ezra had once lived. To this day, he still asked himself why it had become so important to risk his life and carrier in the Empire. The talk I had have with Zeb on the ice moon he made doubts I have had for a long time to resurface but still. I would be shot on sight if it was found out that he had become a trader and he doubted that the rebels really liked him besides perhaps Zeb. I entered the top of the tower and looked to what once had been the boys home and he could not help but feel a little sorry for him. This was not a way to grow up but there was not time for this now and he went over to the equipment.

"This is Fulcrum with an urgent message Thrawn knows … " he said when suddenly the sign went read and it seemed like I wasn't sending any more.

I tried to adjust but it did not help as he suddenly heard another voice behind him that sent shiver down my spine.

"By the light of Lothal's moons" said Thrawn and I turned around to look at him as he stood in the door.

"That is your code fraise isn't it agent Kallus or would you prefer that I address you as Fulcrum?" Thrawn asked me.

I sighted unsure of what to do now and Thrawn took the chance to say more.

"I am afraid your rebel friends won't receive your warning" Thrawn said as he showed me a small signal blocker and maybe even a tracker if I should take a guess.

I knew what I had to destroy the blocker so I could warn the rebels even if it was my last act as Fulcrum or just my last act at all. I charged towards Thrawn and tried to land a blow with my left foot but he managed to block it. That made me change and tried to get a blow in to the head but he blocked that to and charged instead. We continued to shortly fight back and forward but I could not land a blow it was clear that Thrawn was far better. Suddenly Thrawn grabbed me and threw me to the ground which I hurried to get up from to prevent a hit get in.

"Your technique is good but limited at the imperial training, predictably" Thrawn said to me.

I saw a helmet and grabbed it carefully as Thrawn spoke and then tried to attack him with the helmet near the head. As I predicted Thrawn grabbed it so I instead let go of it easily and tossed myself to the ground and slide over the ground and managed to slide his feet away under him making him fall. I quickly got up and slammed my feet into the device which I felt was a small victory as the small transmission that I have recorded would send. I saw Thrawn get up and glared at me.

"You talk to much" I tried to insult him.

His eyes narrowed and he raised his hands and formed them into fist as I charged again. The fight became more brutal as we continued but it was clear that he grew tired of it and grabbed me and started to punch me in my stomach which made the pain started to grow there. I could not prevent myself from bending down which Thrawn took as an opportunity to kick me in the head with so much force that I flew backward and collided with the fence outside. Had I not done so I would have fallen down but for a short time I could not comprehend that all I could feel was the pain that exploded in my back and head. As the pain started to ease I felt as someone grabbed my arms and forced me forward to my knees. It took some time to realise it was two death troopers, he looked up and saw Thrawn standing right in front of me.

"You have the heart of a rebel" Thrawn said.

This was probably the highest praise I would receive in what little there no doubt was left of my life, sadly any of the rebels would not hear it.

"I take that as a compliment" I said after a gasp trying to get some more air in that had been kicked out of me when I collided with the fence.

I had counted on Thrawn dismissing the death troopers to take me to a secure facility to await execution but he did not do so. Instead they dragged me back into the tower where Thrawn was studying the destroyed device with his normal emotionless expression.

"Kallus do you know what you so careless destroyed" he asked me in a slightly cold voice.

"No Thrawn it was your toy" I hissed at him.

"It was an equipment that blocked your signal and from the setting could have predicted where the transmission signal was going. Since you smashed it, it would appear I have to let you make another transmission to trace it" he said to me.

I was caught be surprised by this but I quickly composed myself and looked at him with defiance.

"I will not help you in any way" I spat to him.

I might be executed but help the empire was the last thing I would do even if they promised to go lenient on me, they would never keep that promise. I knew that from privies experience as I reflected over how strange it was that I was now so against supporting them. I might have regretted it but it had been all I had been knowing for most of my adult life.

"I don't need you to corporate I just need the transmission to go through it could be completely empty" Thrawn restored to me glaring at me with those read eyes.

"Then again I think they should be allowed to hear what happens to people who betrays the empire since their leaders will soon suffer the same fate" he said.

He bends down and adjusted a little bit on the transmitter and then he signalled the death troopers to carry me over before he took a come out.

"Stand by for transmission trace it as soon as we start sending" Thrawn said into the come link.

I sighted and could not help but wonder if everyone knows that I am the spy, well not that it would matter for much longer. NO! If I am to die at least I can give them this last message worn them that Thrawn knows about the TIE factory attack.

"Two minutes is enough" answered the man on the other end of the commlink.

"Troopers be ready" Thrawn said as he switched off the bottom that changed the voice on the people speaking and I could feel the troopers tighten their hold on me.

In the same second that he turned it on I tried to shout my warning but all that left my mouth was a scream as my body exploded with pain. One of the death troopers had slammed his foot in to my old wound in my right leg and the pain was horribly. The other trooper applied pressure around my colour bone and it hurt oh it hurt, if the death trooper did not stop soon he or she would break it. Even so I had to warn them somehow.

"The TIE factory" I shouted through the pain.

That made the troops grab my head and hammer it to the table and I cried out at the pain from the impact. _I have to warn them_ was the only thing I could think of through the pain. It was to late for myself to flee but if I could give them a warning.

"He knows" I shouted.

"Troopers hold him up" instructed Thrawn and I was grabbed by the shoulders and lifted off.

The first punch landed right on my left eye and the pain sprung in even harder than when they had slammed his head against the table. What was his hand made of? Concrete? Then again, he fought against battle droids for practice which I clearly felt as my eye swallowed making it difficult to look out through it. Another hit was placed right beneath my mouth which made my teeth and I could taste the metallic taste of blood. I tried to spit out and saw to my satisfaction that I had actually managed to hit Thrawn with it but the "victory" was short lived as the next hit was at his lip which split it so blood started to ran down from it. When the next punch landed on my forehead the pain became too much and I let out a pathetic whimper and cry which I hoped I never had to do again. My head slumbered forward I was having a hard time to remain conscious but I fought back I had to stop the transmission somehow. The answer came to me for as I slumbered forward they let me fall to the ground. I gathered all my strength and raised myself to the table and pushed the transmitter to the ground. Sadly hands grabbed it and lifted it back up.

CUT THE TRANSMISSION HE IS …." I shouted before I anew had my head slammed to the table.

Star sprang into my head and for a short moment I only saw darkness before I shacked my head and the pain cleared just a little. I felt how someone slammed me in the ribs on my rights and I gasped for air by that. I was pretty sure that it was Thrawn judged by the power of the blow which made me curl up to protect myself. My vision started to blur and I knew I would black out soon but I still did not want to despite the pain it coursed me.

"Sir we have the coordinates" said a voice in the room which I could not place.

I forced myself to focus and slowly my sight settled enough to see Thrawn stand with his commlink in his hand.

"Send the coordinates to me immediately" Thrawn said.

"Troopers I will need to look at the charge secure Kallus here while I do so there is something I wish to show him" Thrawn continued in his normal voice like he had asked for something regular.

The death troopers grabbed me and smacked my arm over me cuffed them so hard that I could feel the iron cut into my wrists and I knew it would gnaw into my skin. A feeling that only got worse and the pain grew as time went on as I was forced to hang by my wrists. My leg was pounding hard I hoped it wasn't broken but it did not feel that way thankfully. On the other hand, I was pretty sure that at least one rib was broken seen as my breathing was very shallow and every single one hurt. My eye shallowed and my head hurt I knew it would not be able to stay awake for that much longer if they keep it up. I looked at Thrawn that was reading cards and then projected a map of the outer space up in the room.

"You may have transmitted your warning Kallus" Thrawn said to me and a line showed up on the card "but in doing so you've given me the last piece of the puzzle. Now this is the trajectory of General Dodanna's fleet and this is the trajectory of your Fulcrum transmission" Thrawn finished to me and a new line showed up.

To my horror, I saw that the two lines intersected what where they doing? Everyone in the rebellion should know about the value of hyper jumping a few times to avoid detection. I dearly wished that the transmitter was still working so he could have a word with that idiot commander that had jumped straight to the base the good thing was that there was no planet there.

"Nothing there is no planet there, the rebels are smarter than you give them credit for" I replied hoping to throw Thrawn off.

"You know Kallus since the incident with the assentation attempt on me in my office I have suspected that someone might have tempted with my map. I therefore started to go through everything and double cross it with alternative sources" Thrawn said and paused.

"A pity you do not study art Kallus there is much it can show you, if you know where to look" Thrawn said and then adjusted a little bit and put in a memory card.

"Such as a system which does not appear on Imperial charts, but is represented in the art of the ancient people in this sector" Thrawn said before he turned to me.  
The charge changed and a planet showed up and I had a hard time not to give away that it was indeed the planet where the rebel resided, Thrawn studied it for a minute.

"I believe they call this Atallon" Thrawn said and looked me right in the eyes "now the home of your rebel base" he finished.

Shame hit me as I realised that I had just lead the empire to the doorstep of the rebellion despite my desire to do different. I was so lost in thought that I hardly heard what I knew came next.

"Admiral Konstantine, deploy the fleet to these coordinates" Thrawn said into his commlink and for the first time he smiled as he turned to me once again.  
"We will join you… shortly," Thrawn ended the transmission.

I could not help myself as my head felt to my chest in sham and also a little bit in fear for I know knew what happened next. Traitors was shot by the empire I was caught with Thrawn of all people in the empire he was one that could not be tricked.

"Now Kallus I have a question to ask of you" he said to me in a tone that indicated we were having a conversation about something of interest.

"Why would you betray the empire Kallus? There is nothing in your files that suggest there should be a good reason" Thrawn asked me.

For the first time since I was captured I could not help but smile, there was something the great mind of Grand Admiral Thrawn could not understand. Deep down I was not sure I understood it either but it was worth to frustrate Thrawn about it.

"This must be frustrating for you, something that Grand Admiral Thrawn cannot understand. I have no debt, no family and I been cleared by the senate. Neither has you been able to find anything when it came to black mail material so you can't help wondering why. To think that the _great_ Thrawn cannot figure out such a thing" I taunted.

One of the death trooper punched me in the stomach hard clearly not happy about me taunting Thrawn.

"You will address the Grand Admiral with his title rebel traitor" a female voice sneered to me which surprised me.

"Now Kallus I don't have all day when I managed to catch my breath once again after have lost it due to the punch.

"No, that little secret stays with me it will bring me comfort to know that even in my grave I will always hold something from you" I could not help but smirk.

For the first time, I saw Thrawn express anger and he walked over to me with a furious expression in his eyes. Just as he did so I jumped up and hang completely by my wrists which allowed me to punch him in the chest. I managed to land on my left foot and smiled triumphantly to him all the while my wrists and right foot which I had used to kick exploded in pain and I could feel blood run down my arms. I knew it would cost my quite a beating but it was worth it just to see his shocked face when he came back up. That was all I managed to see before the death troopers started to beat him up all over the body.

"Sir" did a voice come through and I started to look around realising that I must have blacked out.  
"What is it?" Thrawn snapped into the commlink.  
"Governor Price is requesting your presence at Atallon" answered the voice in the commlink.

"It would appear you won't get to know" I said to him smiling.

"Oh we have more time to discuss this" Thrawn answered me in his calm voice.

"I have requested from Tarkin that before your execution you should pay by seeing me destroy the rebellion. After I explained that I take an assentation attempt and your treachery quite personal he saw fit to grand me that" Thrawn said.

For the first time, I felt horror beyond word for this was far worse than just being executed. I had no wish to see those people that I had spent month trying to help and gain their trust being destroyed before my very eyes. The last thing I saw was Thrawn stand before me as my head exploded in pain and everything turned black.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you all of you for reading this and especially thank you to those that send me feedback. I have more time on correcting this time, so hopefully it will reflect that. Keep the reviews coming.

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My mind did not wish to return to consciousness, but someone was starting to shake my shoulder roughly, clearly in an effort to get me to wake. My head felt like a thousand pound heavier than it should, and the pain continued to grow after what I assumed was a blow to the back head. Everything else in my body was hurting in some way or another. The cold metal floor was freezing but it was actually also a bit nice, for my head it was nice to have something cold to reduce the pain. Slowly I managed to open both my eyes, the swelling made it hard to but I managed to do so, and saw that I was in a shuttle.

"Kallus you are finally wakening, that is good for you will be required to walk yourself, my troopers has better things to do than drag you" I heard Thrawn say.

I turned my head and saw that he was sitting at a seat in this back of his shuttle which was probably transporting us to his star destroyer. Instead of replaying I just put my head down again and tried to move my hands which I found was still bound.

"We will be arriving in a few minutes, but before that happen, I am giving you a new chance to explain why you chose the rebellion" Thrawn said to me.

"I told you Thrawn this is one thing I will take to my grave to protect it, it is all that I have left. You claim to be so smart figure it out" I snapped at him.

Even as I spoke I could not help but wonder why it had become so important for me to help the rebels or why I would not tell. Well the first was largely due to Garazeb and those questions that he had set in my head, it had made me question everything until the point where I had lost all believe in the empire. The things I had discovered was horribly, and it had spiralled to even more horrifying questions and answers. Even so why would I not tell? Well it was of course the importance of not giving Thrawn any more information than he already had – which was frightening much already. However, it was also satisfying to see the frustration Thrawn had, over the fact that there was something he did not know. It was worth to see that, even though it would no doubt cost me quite a bit of pain for defying him. He I had barely reached the end of the last though before one of the death troopers slammed his (hers?) foot right into my stomach.

You dog" the female death trooper shouted.

She continued to slam her foot into my stomach which made me caught and gasp for air, the pain that had settled flamed up and made it even harder to breath.

"I told you traitor it is Grand Admiral Thrawn, you will address him with respect and don't you forget it" she shouted.

"Enough" was all Thrawn had to say to make her stop.

He did not even have to race his voice to get the death trooper to stop. I laid gasped for air as it felt like I was starving from it but every breath I took was painful, I had a suspicion that at least one maybe more of my ribs was broken.

"Since you refuse to answer me I will find out myself, I will send word to confiscate your possessions and have them brought to me when we arrive. Even so you might want to think about cooperating, I have spent my life studying the art of war and through that I have learned of many different types of torture. Many are illegal but I can put in a request to overrule that in your case and I have often wondered how effective they are. If I test them you will end up begging me to be allowed to be shoot at the firing squad" said Thrawn in a cold manner.

For the time being I could only focus on the pain and lack of air that threaten to overtake me, but it was hard not to shutter at such a threat. It send shiver down my spine of the thought. As I slowly managed to focus again I looked up at the female death trooper and I could not help to wonder why she was angry. I had heard rumors about Thrawn allowing females into his personal guards and that they were fiercely loyal to him.

"It seams like the roomers are true" I muttered to myself.

" _What roomers?"_ Thrawn said in a tone that told me he would not settle for anything less than the truth.

Was it worth getting another beating just to frustrate Thrawn even further I considered, but no I might throw him a little off with this.

"Well the roomers say that Thrawn's fleet is filled with people that is unbelievable loyal to you and that the male to female ratio is far more equal than other ships or fleets. Many call you the freak fleet due to your ability to find odd people all kinds of places, people whose life your turn upside down or people which carries has stranded for some reason" I answered and stared at him.

It was indeed worth it as I saw Thrawn hiss at my word and I also heard a snare from the female death trooper. The female death trooper would probably like to hit me once again for speaking so direct and bluntly to the grand admiral. Even so it did not matter, if I was to be shot I no longer had to address people by the title or rank. I was however saved by the pilot that came and announced that we would be there in a minute.

"On your feet Kallus we are going to the command bridge and I am not having my troopers drag you" Thrawn said.

I was forced to my feet and the two troopers followed right behind, me as my capture walked down the ramp and out in the Star Destroyer. My right leg was protesting at this and for every step I took it hurt even worse. I kept my head low, but even so I could feel how people stared as I looked like one of the empire, but was being treated like a traitor. Even so I could not do much as we walked down the corridors.

"Go faster you rebel scum" did the male death trooper smeared to me as he pushed me forward.

He used his blaster to push me forward when I had struggled to keep paste due to my leg. I tried to go faster, but my leg just did not wanted to corporate.

"I said move it rebel scum" he shouted at me.

This time I received a hit in my back from the grip on the blaster which made me stumble forward. That was one step to many and my leg gave away and without my hands I could do nothing but fall to the ground. I landed quite hard and pain powered through my body, from both my leg and the other places that had collided with the floor.

"Get him back up and get him to move we don't have all day" I could hear Thrawn say.

Hands grabbed me and forced me to get back up. It was painful to put weight back on my leg but I had no choice but to endure it. Step after step I took while the troopers kept pushing me forward, it was very painful, but finally we were at the lift.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn sir" called a young man that came running towards us.

The breath break allowed me to sight a little without anyone noticing. As he drew closer I spotted an opportunity to get a little payback. I could not run, but I could provoke a little reaction. Just as he ran over to Thrawn I lifted my left leg just a tiny inch of the ground and the young officer felt over it and collided with one of the death trooper and cried out. The unexpected weight made the death trooper fell down with the officer over him/her? He kept his face surprised and then shifted to uninterested as he stared at the two. The young officer got up and looked quite embarrassed by this while Thrawn looked angry.

"I am sorry sir" the young man rambled.

"Your message" Thrawn snapped.

"Grand Moff Tarkin reminds you that he wishes an update when you can" the officer said.

"I will thank you" Thrawn answered and waved the officer away that almost fleet the area.

Thrawn then opened the elevator and I was pressed into the wall of it while the three others went in as well. I had barely hit the wall before the troopers had slammed me into, before I received a punch in the stomach which pressed all the air out of me, again.

"It was you that did that, you made the officer land on top of me" the male trooper snapped.

"Grand Admiral allow me to break his right leg, it won't take much" the male death trooper requested which made me swallow hard.

"No not yet, but when I give you the signal break his right leg for now, he needs it a little longer" Thrawn said angrily staring at me.

I stiffened and tried to brace myself for what would come at one point or another, this was not going to be pleasant. The elevator stopped and I was forced to continue walking despite my leg painfully protesting against it, and I dreaded to think that it would soon enough be worse when they broke it. It was hard not to fear when Thrawn would allow them to break my leg, I had to get away but how was I going to do so? Right now, it was hard enough just to keep paste and I received numerus hits in the back from the grip on the death trooper's shooters when he could not keep up the speed. My back was hurting badly from the many hits when we finally made to the bridge and I was pressed to my knees. We were still in hyperspace and I looked up at Thrawn scared if he would order the death troopers to break my leg but he instead looked at Pryce.

"Debrief me" he ordered her.

Pryce glared at me which I returned before she turned to Thrawn, I also noticed that she did not look surprised so Thrawn must have told her. At this point I would be surprised if less than half the empire did not knew.

"We will be out of hyperspace within the next couple of minutes there the rest of fleet is already in battle with the rebels. Admiral Konstantine has activated the gravity wells preventing any rebels ship from leaving" Pryce informed and smiled coldly to me.

I kept my face straight and glared back but inside it hurt as I knew what was waiting me when we arrived. I would see those I have tried to help pay the price for my effort, how would anyone ever trust me if they lived to find out?

"Good Guvnor I need you to get someone to send someone to collect Kallus possessions and bring them here, I wish to study them" Thrawn said.

It made Pryce walk out my line a sight for a little time while we poured through hyper space. She came back and nodded to Thrawn and I gitterned my teeth in frustration.

"Pay attention Kallus we are there" I heard Thrawn say.

I looked up and saw that we exit hyperspace and arrived near Atalon and I could see that there was a frigate that was under heavy fire.

"What of Governor Tarkin's prisoners?" Governor Pryce asked as the frigate started to break up in peace's and flames poured over the ship. It was the most horribly sight I had ever seen and I had a hard time not to feel despair. Even so I knew that the rebels would not give up that easily, I knew they had found way out of impossible situations before. As long as they were willing to fight, I too had to, I had to find a way to help them somehow.  
"General Dodanna is known for his courage" Thrawn answered blankly.

"He would not be aboard the first vessel to flee, its crew is therefore irrelevant" Thrawn finished in a dismissing voice.

I could not help but shutter remembering how cold and dismissing I once had been and I felt ashamed over it. It was for these things that I had stopped helping the empire, I tried to make up for all the bad things I had done.

"Now that we've got their attention" Thrawn said eyes taking in the wreckage.

"Let's meet our opponents" He activated the hologram and I saw the holograms of the rebel commanders pop up.

My heart rate kicked up a knock and I was filled with guilt over this.  
"General Dodanna, Commander Sato, Captain Syndulla" Thrawn said.

I could watch and study their faces of the rebels, I saw that there surprise quickly turned over to anger, as they glared at Thrawn. That did not seem to do anything to the chriss, as Thrawn just continued.

"At last we meet in this theater of war, however briefly" Thrawn said and he sounded much happier than I liked.

He had been waiting for this planning and preparing and now it had lead him to this moment. He was ready to play, and I could only hope that the rebels was so as well.  
"There is no escape and your forces are badly outnumbered, this rebellion ends today" he concluded.  
"We'll never surrender to you Thrawn" Hera growled.  
"You misunderstand captain, I'm not accepting surrenders this time. I want you to know failure, utter defeat, and that it is I who delivers it, crushing down upon you" he answered back and I could see that the rebels were not happy.

Thrawn then turned his head to me and nodded to the death trooper and before I registered what was going to happen I was slammed to the ground and held. One of the death trooper held me down as the other grabbed my leg and started to pull … the wrong way.

"NO" I hissed and tried to get away, but to no avail.

"The best thing is that I could not have done so without agent Fulcrum, or should we call him Kallus?" I heard Thrawn say.

Even in pain I lifted my head and saw the rebels stiffen at this.

SNAP

It could be heard on the entire bridge as my leg broke and I screamed as pain consumed me and my vision went reed. I did not even register that I pulled on my retainers it hurt that much, and I could not prevent myself from keep crying out and try to get my leg away from the death trooper. Finally, the death troopers let go of me, but I just laid on the floor trying to catch my breath, as my crying gradually stopped.

"Now let us proceed" I heard Thrawn say.

I sent shiwer down my spine for I was incapable of seeing, how I should manage to proceed.


	3. Chapter 3

You are so fantastic, thank you for reading and reviewing to all of you. Below, there will be a few comments to people that has reviewed it.

doodly-squad: Glad that you enjoy it, and yes I will continue. Your encouragement helps a lot on the motivation.

Guest 1. I have done my best to answer your questions. If you still has some after this review and I will try to answer them. I can't pm you when you don't have an acount but I can write it here.

Guest 2. I am not aiming for a sadistic version of Thrawn. He is a Chriss that never does anything without a purpose which i hope to show in this chapter. The reaction was not something I original intended, but I am open for request so the reaction is for you. I hope it has explained your question as well. I can't pm you without an acount but I hope this explain it. Please continue reviewing.

Lyn Friedman-kisney: Thank you for the kind words, here is next chapter.

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My right leg continued to pain me as the death trooper forced me to kneel once again, which was hard when my leg was broken. My sight was blurry but in some way, it was actually a comfort because it prevented me from seeing the fight going on outside. I had no desire to see the rebels being destroyed, so I just focused on manage to overcome the pain of my leg. Off course Thrawn would not allow me that, I could hear him instruct the trooper to get me to focus. They grabbed me around the shoulders and started to shake me hard which made the pain grow. I shook my head and tried to make them let go which only resulted in a smack across the face, but slowly I managed to focus. How much more could I endure before my body would stop taking it?

"It was well delivered Kallus" Thrawn said.

"Delivered what?" I hissed to him, partly from the pain, and partly from my anger.

"You provided quite a painful scream which seemed to get to the rebels. It will make them worried and less focused on the task at hand and make it easier for me to win" Thrawn said.

"You … you broke my leg just to make them unfocused?" I hissed in anger.

"I think it was quite effective" Thrawn answered in a manner, that showed he held no regrets.

I sneered in anger by this but could not dismiss the logic. The rebels were very compassionate, I knew that from my countless run ins. However, did that really extended to me, after all I had done to them? How I wish I could see them and talk to them even if they wanted nothing to do with me anymore, I at least had to explain that he did not lead Thrawn to them. Well not on intension anyway. Right now, I just had to find a way to stay alive, which for the look at it was not going to be easy.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Hera looked at the image of Thrawn angered that he had found us, how had he found us?

"General Dodanna, Commander Sato, Captain Syndulla" Thrawn said.

"At last we meet in this theater of war, however briefly" Thrawn said and he sounded much happier than I liked.

Whatever he was happy about, it could not be good news for us.  
"There is no escape and your forces are badly outnumbered, this rebellion ends today" he concluded.  
"We'll never surrender to you Thrawn" I answered in defiance.  
"You misunderstand captain, I'm not accepting surrenders this time. I want you to know failure, utter defeat, and that it is I who delivers it, crushing down upon you" Thrawn restored to me, before he turned his head and nodded to someone.

I could hear someone struggle behind him but could not see what was happening, what was going on?

"The best thing is that I could not have done so without agent Fulcrum, or should we call him Kallus?" Thrawn said.

We all stiffened unsure of what to do, a question was going through my mind, had Kallus betrayed us or had Thrawn just figured out? It was hard to tell Thrawn was unbelievable intelligent, I had experience that myself back when I tried to regain my Kalikori. I was just that the second transmission it had sounded like Kallus had tried to tell us something, but had been prevented. It had more been the sound of someone being brutally beaten, but there had been a few words. The last thing that had been heard was "CUT THE TRANSMISSION HE IS" followed by the sound of two heavy objects collide and someone gasping for air before it was cut. She cringed at the thought of Kallus being beaten, even though she was unsure if they could trust him, he did not deserve such a treatment.

Suddenly I stiffed as a scream was heard from the hologram and I could feel my blood freeze, for that was a sound of a person that was in pain, a horrifying amount of pain. It sounded like Kallus and I knew that whether or not Kallus had betrayed us, he suffered for it right now. He suffered for his choice of being Fulcrum and that was not something that pleased me, for I did not believe that anyone deserved to be tortured, not even the emperor.

"Now let us proceed" I heard Thrawn say without offering any more explanation and the image was off.

We all just stood there and tried to comprehend what had happened. It was hard to concentrate, when a part of me just wanted to rush to Thrawn and make him stop torturing Kallus. Even so I had a task at hand and people counted on me, for now we would have to leave Kallus to his fate, whatever it might be.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

"Now that they are ready, let us see what move they choose to open with" Thrawn said, staring out of the window onto the battlefield.

It made me look out as well, even though a part of me wanted to look away, I did not want to see the rebellion being whipped out. Even so I looked out partly because I was curious to see what the rebels would do, and partly because I knew that Thrawn would not allow me to look away. I could only hope that the rebels found a way to escape, like they had done so many time with me.

"Sato is deploying a Denon tactic, bold, but I'd expect no less from the greatest commander to ever come out of the Michavo system" Thrawn said after a few minutes, where he had looked at the formation of the rebel ships.  
This was not good, Thrawn really did know every last one of these rebels, he must have used the past months to study all of them. This was why he had not done more, he had needed time to study them before he made his move.  
"Reinforce our centre and send in the fighters" Thrawn instructed.  
I watched as the TIE fighters flood passed the window, hoping that the rebels were ready for them. Thrawn then reached for the hologram projector and an image of Konstantine materialised before him.  
"Yes, Grand Admiral?" Konstantine… did not sound happy, in fact he seemed a bit stressed and frustrated.  
"Konstantine, keep your Interdictor cruiser back until I order otherwise" Thrawn said in a tone that allowed no room for discussion.

Konstantine did not seem satisfied and that was good news for me, I might be able to use it to push Thrawn into making bad decisions, if I could have step on Thrawn's nerves.  
"Why not just attack now, with overwhelming force?" Konstantine asked even more frustrated.  
"Because I know these Rebels" Thrawn answered back with an appropriate growl of annoyance.

This was perfect, I had seen the same frustration when I had refused to tell him why I had sided with the rebels.

"I've studied them. They will no doubt defy convention and attempt something unexpected. We will be prepared for it, as long as you do exactly as I say" Thrawn answered with a clear warning to Konstantine.  
"As you wish" Konstantine answered, the annoyance couldn't be plainer, but he was also a bit scared.  
If the rebels was to have a chance I had to be a nuisance to Thrawn, even if it was going to put me in even more pain.  
"Fighting over glory?" I asked Thrawn in a mocking voice.

Thrawn turned his head around and looked at me.

"I do not require glory, only results for my Emperor" Thrawn answered me showing no sign of frustration.

"No? Do you think Konstantine feels the same way? I know him, he will try to get the glory instead of you, I have seen him do so before" I taunted him again.

"He would not go against a direct order" Thrawn dismissed me.

"I would not be so sure, as I said I have seen it before" I said in a mocking tone.

"Stay silent Kallus, I have a battle to fight" Thrawn ordered me.

"If I am to be executed as a traitor to the empire, then I no longer has to take orders from you Thrawn" I reminded him.

I did not look away but waited that the female death trooper would beat me for that comment, but I was not prepared for the question that came.

"You do this in the hope of bringing me out of balance to help your rebel friends, aren't you?" Thrawn asked.

He waved the trooper away that had grabbed me, and I could feel how the hand left me shoulders before I looked up at Thrawn.

"I am merely trying to warn you" I tried to bluff him.

Off course that did not work on Thrawn.

"You might be able to bluff others but not me Kallus, and it makes me wonder how long you would go to help your rebels friend. How strong is your commitment to them exactly?" Thrawn asked me.

His word hit me like blow for I was unsure of how to answer, there was also the fact that Thrawn had called them his friends. Did I consider them friends? Did they consider me a friend? I knew that he might have strike something that came close to a friendship with Garazeb, but what about the rest of the rebels. They had certainly voiced their mistrust, especially the padawan Ezra, but then they had come after him when they though he was exposed. I looked up again and decided the best thing I could do was just be quite, and not give Thrawn any more than he already had.

"I am waiting Kallus" Thrawn said.

"For one that claim to be so smart, you sure have to ask a lot of questions" I restored back.

Thrawn looked angry at that.

"Very well we will find out another way" Thrawn said.

"Trooper ready a taser, every time a rebel ship wins a victory over ours you will use it. I want to see how strong Kallus is siding with the rebels" Thrawn instructed.

I did my best not to show my emotions by that suggestion, but inside I was terrified of that, how many times would I be able to hold my stand? Yes, I sided with the rebels but was I strong enough or would I break down and start begging for it to stop? I looked out of the window, and both Thrawn and the troopers did so as well. The fight was heading up and I had a hard time of keeping track of it all, but suddenly I spotted the ghost. One of their canons shot a TIE fighter, and I knew what that meant. I hoped it was Garazeb that had shoot it for them, then I would at least suffer for the person I was closest with in the rebellion. The taser made contact with my bag, and I felt how my nerves screamed over the electricity running through my body. The contact was broke and I gasped for air as my body shivered after it. I looked up just to see another TIE fighter being destroyed, and bid my teeth together to prevent myself from screaming. This time it felt like white knifes piercing through my body, when the taser made contact again. I barely had time to raise my head, before the third shock came, and this time I could not prevent myself from screaming, despite my best effort. The pain was so bad, that I could not even tell where on me they had used the taser. I ended up on the floor, pulling on my restrain once again, which made the pain even worse and I could feel how the blood ran down my arms, again.

"Get him to sit up, he can't see anything from the floor" Thrawn instructed the troopers.

I felt how hands was grabbing my shoulders and forced me to get back up to my knees, so I could watch out of the windows. I saw another destroyed TIE fighter and received another shock, and I could only cry out once again. How much more could I endure? My body was slowly giving up on me. Suddenly I saw something that made me forget the pain I was experiencing. One of the big rebel ship was moving out of formation and towards us and Konstantine's ship moved in after it, how stupid was this man?

"Konstantine return to your assigned coordinates immediately" Thrawn said in an angry voice.

"I had enough of your games _Grand Admiral_ " Konstantine dismissed in a mocking voice.

Konstantine's ship moved closer and closer, but I knew he would not capture the ship that easy. What was the rebels up to? Then suddenly the rebel ship changed course and flew right into Konstantine's ship. My mouth dropped in disbelief, for I knew that the rebels did not throw around with the life's of their people. The explosion was so powerful, that our ship felt the tidal wave and Thrawn and Price had to regain their balance, as the whole ship shacked. I was sliding a bit to the right before two hands grabbed my shoulder and forced me to stay there. Despite the pain from their grip, all I could do was to stare at the remains of the two ships, that now flew around in the space. The good thing about it, was that the troopers was so chocked that they forgot Thrawn's instruction. I had to remind myself, I had a good opportunity right now.

"It looks like I knew Konstantine better than you did after all" I mocked Thrawn.

Thrawn looked angry at me.

"Troopers I believe you forgot something.

I felt another chock but this time I managed to stop myself from screaming out.

One of the officers was coming over.

"Sir one of the rebel ships has escaped the blockade" the officer reported.

"Konstantine was careless, let us hope he did not undermine my effort" Thrawn answered remaining calm this time.

"Press the attack force them to ground" he instructed.

The battle resumed, but I could see it would not last for long and almost right on que, the rebel ships turned around and headed back to Atalon.

"Get Kallus up and bring him over here, I want him to see this" Thrawn said.

Up? As in standing? There was no way my leg would carry my weight. The troopers grabbed me around my shoulders, and force me up on my legs, and as I predicted it would not carry me. I screamed in the moment I had weight on it as it felt like it was on fire.

"Over here now" ordered Thrawn shortly.

This made the death troopers carry me over to the window, so I had a full view of the fleeing fleet. It was hard to watch, for I knew they would need some very strong shields to survive the coming bombardment. How where they going to survive this?

"Tell me Kallus do you still side with them?" Thrawn asked me.

I looked at the fleeing fleet and asked myself that very same question, would I side with them even now? If given a second chance tomorrow, would I change my choices and stay with the empire? I remembered my many years of service to the empire. How proud I had been at doing all of these things that I had done for the empire. But then I also remembered the questions Garazeb had planted in my mind, the things I had found out after that and then I knew my answer. I looked straight into Thrawn's red eyes, when I delivered the answer.

"YES".


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the long wait but I have had a hard time to find the time, since my lest chapter was so succesful with the reaction I decided you should have a little look into Thrawn's point of view. I really hope I have done this right pleas forgive me Timothy Zahn if I havn't.

doodly-squad: Well let us hope he survive this might help a little.

Guest 1. Yes it is not easy for Kallus to survive.

Guest 2. I really hope it lives up to that. I also hope i have enlightened a little more why the characters do as they do.

Guest 3: I so do hope I deliever.

Lyn Friedman-kisney: Thank you for your wonderful support.

Momkin: Hope this will be just as good.

* * *

I waited for punch or a smack around my face, maybe something even worse, but for some reason it did not come and I found that Thrawn just looked at me. I doubted that I looked good with the blood in my face from the many punches, the broken leg, the swollen eye and the shallow breathing.

"I see, you must side with them very strongly. You were very loyal to the empire once, so it only makes sense that you will be just as loyal to the rebels, now that you have shifted allegiance. Let him stand over there" said Thrawn and then waved me away.

I was frustrated by the fact that Thrawn had realised this, because it had become important for me not to give away anything that could help him win over the rebels. I was not sure why I was so devoted to the rebels that I provoked reactions that was casing me pain, why was I doing that? Was it because he had strung a friendship with Garazeb? Yes, but it was something more than that, it was also because he had realised how wrong he had been. He had asked questions he never dreamt of; Like what happened on Lerasan? Where did the empire get the slaves from? Why was people being arrested for treason? It had provided the most horribly answers I could imagen, and I had decided I could not live with it. That was when it hit me, I did this because I tried to make up for my help to the empire to rule and suppress the people. I had been a part of it and I had to make up for it if I could even, and I sighted at that, if it meant I would die a slow and painful death.

I was dragged back to the former spot, but much to my displeasure I was not allowed to sit down. No I was forced to stand, which made my leg scream in protest and send shiver through my body because of the pain. I collapsed but was immediately forced to get back up to my feet. For the first time since it was broken, I looked down at it and I nearly fainted at the sight, it was the foot they had broken and they had not just broken it, no they had dislocated his foot. The odd and twisted angle that the foot was having told me everything I needed to know, and the break was off course near the old wound. I could see there had run blood down but it had now dried, indicating that it had started bleeding when the trooper had dig into it during the fight. My eye, which was still very swallowed, had a hard time opening it and my hair was out of order. I had, had better times to put it mildly. I was unsure of how I was going to survive this let alone escape, but I had to try. I could not hope that the rebels would help me, they had problems enough of their own, soon Thrawn would make a move against them. I looked at Thrawn that had just stared out of the window for some time, I knew he was planning and probably soon order a bombardment.

"Our capital ships are in position; the blockade is secure" Pryce said. This made Thrawn turn around and walk over to us and I looked from him to Pryce knowing what was coming now.

"Secure blockade? It must have been so hard to do with no ships out there expect you owns" I mocked her. I hoped to distract them even if only for a little while.

"Why you little traitor …" Pryce snapped angrily.

"Easy now Governor, Kallus is merely desperate pay him no head" Thrawn said, calm as always.

Pryce looked like she wanted to say more, but it was clear that Thrawn would not allow that, as he asked.

"And the status of the rebel fleet?"

"The remaining vessels have fled back to the surface and are taking shelter under a localized shield" Pryce answered and turned her attention back to Thrawn. "Hmm" mourned Thrawn to himself.

"Very good, let's test their mettle" Thrawn decided.

"Commence the attack" Thrawn said and nodded to one of the officers down with the control panel. I sighted as the bombardment started and soon did the other star destroyer fall in and started firing as well.

It was the longest minutes in my life, as I looked at the endless lines of green light that fired down at Atallon. I waited for something, even though I knew very well that if the bombardments were successful there would be no sign of it. No big explosion or anything else that would tell me that it was over for the rebels. It was painful to wait, it was even worse to see it all unfold, I started to look to Thrawn. He had to call for a stoop soon or he would destroy them, I looked out the window again but it just continued. I looked back at Thrawn and had he turned his head he would see the desperate look at my face, as the fire just continued. I wanted for it to end now! Before the rebels was destroyed and all my work would be for nothing. That more than anything made my stomach feel like it was filled with cement. It was like time slowed down so I had time to watch every single shoot that made me cringe. I looked at Thrawn one more time, hoping that he somehow would stop this.

"They had enough seas fire" Thrawn finally said after I looked back and forth more times than I could count.

I tried to hide my sigh of relief but I had a feeling that Thrawn knew that I was relieved. My leg shivered even worse, as I started to notice the pain in my leg that I have forgotten during the bombardment.

"Sir Grand Moff Tarkin request an update, he is growing rather impatient" an office called from below.

"I will take it in the conference room, Governor Pryce you keep an eye on things in the meantime, I will be back soon" Thrawn said.

I watched as Thrawn walked out and then I turned my head back to Atallon, I could not stop myself doing so even though I knew I could see nothing. "Troopers give that rebels sympathizer a good beating" I heard Pryce said.

What had I done now? I wondered before I fell a fist powering into my ribs. I gasped for air only to have another fist slammed into my stomach a second later. I felt a third and fourth blow land before a coughing fit started. To my horror, I spitted blood up and the two troopers did not even stop, while I did so. Finally, my mind refused to take no more and the darkness surrounded me and allowed me to escape.

I slowly regained consciousness as I felt someone shake me awake, I was laying on the ground. I tried to move my head, but someone was holding it. I felt a little prick in my neck, but compared to all the pain I already had felt, it was hardly anything. My sight started to return and I saw it was one of the death troopers that had injected me with some kind of drug. This was not good, I knew most of the drug's the empire used, and none of them was good for me. I looked to my right where I found the boots of Pryce and I managed to look up at her.

"So, what did you give me" I asked in a dry almost uncaring voice.

I could see she was frustrated that I sounded so disinterested in the matter.

"Consciousness" she mocked me.

"I would have thought you wanted a break for me, since you glare at me like I had done something to you" I replayed back to her.

"Troopers get him up and use the tasers on him" Pryce said.

They dragged me to my feet which I almost fell again, but I managed to stay up only to have the tasers used at me again. I could not hold back my scream as the pain spread through my body, but I remained conscious through the whole ordeal because of the drug. The drug had been given the nickname for that very reason. I screamed even more as the pain became even worse, as the death troopers refused to remove the taser.

"Stop" did I suddenly heard Thrash order in a very angry voice. The pain stopped to increase and I gasped for air before a coughing fit spitting blood up, I was dying.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Thrawn walked down to the conference room, while thinking of the answer that Kallus had provided. He had declared his allegiance to the rebels even as they were driven to the ground by him. What could have inspired such strong commitment for the traitor? If there was one thing that I hated it was when there were things I did not know. That and of course traitors, liars and saboteurs. Mostly when I had questions, they could be easily answered by asking questions of my own or simply study the topic, but Kallus was aware of this and very careful to give anything away. He knew how much it angered me and he used it against me. Even so I had not punished him for still choosing the rebels, which was a part of my plan of getting the truth out of him. If I beat him up when he answered me, it would only have made it harder to obtain the answers, all though he had not gone without punishment completely, I had ordered the troopers to force him to stand despite the broken foot. I stepped inside to find a hologram projecting the image of Grand Moff Tarkin.

"Thrawn I have been waiting for an update for some time" Tarkin said clearly not happy.

"My apology, but it is hard to find the time during a battle" I replied in a calm voice.

That seemed to anger Tarkin as he moved a little bit in an uneasy manner, and I could see the frustration in his face for a short second.

"Now, how is things proceeding" Tarkin asked me.

"We have driven the rebels to the ground and made a blockade so they can't escape. We are preparing a ground assault, where I hope to be able to fulfil your request of capturing the rebel leaders" I answered him.

"Very good now what about the traitor, have you gotten anything out of him?" Tarkin asked me further.

"He is being difficult in relating the information I wish to have, but I know that I can do it. If we know why he defected, it might be used to prevent it from happening again" I answered.

"Very well Thrawn but remember he has an execution to face, like the rebel leaders we will show what happen, if you betray the empire" Tarkin said.

"Very well" I answered.

"Good, I am sure you have a battle to return to" Tarkin said and I nodded. I raised and waited for the hologram to stop, and then walked out of the room and back to the bridge.

I suddenly heard Kallus constant screams of pain and I speeded up to see what was going on, I had not given orders to do anything to Kallus. I found Pryce standing smiling while the taser was being used against Kallus without pause. Tears had started running down his cheek and there was blood on the floor right beneath him, how was he not unconscious?

"Stop" I ordered in an angry voice. The death troopers stopped immediately and Kallus almost collapsed on the ground, and started coughing blood up.

"What do think you are doing Governor Pryce?" I asked in a very cold voice.

"I am dealing with that little traitor like you should have hours ago" she snapped at me.

"What happen to Kallus is my decision not yours Governor Pryce" I said in a low but very low but very cold voice.

I walked over to Kallus and looked him over and he certainly did not look good, he actually looked like one that was dying. For a short second, I could not contain myself from hissing at the blood that he was spitting up, the coughing fit had not even stopped.

"Get a doctor up here and have this stopped" I ordered.

One of my officers walked out and I turned to Governor Pryce that gulped, clearly knowing that she was in trouble.

"Governor I just spoke with Grand Moff Tarkin, he was very clear about that he wanted an execution of Kallus. If he dies from this, I will hold no qualm in telling that it was your treatment that brought us to this" I told her in a low voice.

For the first time since the rate had started she, looked scared it was clear that she did not like that. She hoped to one day reach the title of Grand Moff and there was no way you reached that, if you went against orders from Grand Moff Tarkin. I walked back to look out of the windows again, only to hear another voice.

"The items your required has arrived sir" did a storm trooper say, as he carried two items over to me. I looked at a boe-riffle and a stone of some sort, I walked over and took them and started examining it.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

My coughing only seamed to get worse and I spit more and more blood up, I was not aware of anything else that happened around me. Suddenly I found a medic droid standing over me and started to look me over. I finally stopped coughing and looked at the droid that looked me over, as it started working on me. I did not know what it was doing, but suddenly my left side was on fire and cried out.

"Please lay still or you will hurt yourself" the droid said.

Sweat howled on my face as the pain grew even worse and my vision gut blurry, even though I did not lose consciousness, I was really starting to hate that drug. Then suddenly the pain was lessening and I started to breath more freely. How wonderful it was to feel the pain lessen. even just a tiny bit and it breathed a relief. For some time, all I could think of was laying here and just enjoy that I could breathe without to much pain. As my sight started to refocus, I saw that Thrawn was standing and looked over at some objects. Suddenly I recognized it was my stuff they had been brought to him, and now he was studying it. I could feel range inside myself and for the first time I understood how Hera must have felt when he took her Kalikori. I looked at him while he inspected the two items, and I could not prevent a growl from myself.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay so it is here even thogh it is getting harder to find free time. Thanks especially to Charm 1355 for our long and good conversations and your motivations.

doodly-squad: I have tried to do as you suggest, so Kalls is from I point of view while the rest is not.

Cheion: Thank you. I hope you feel that I get the escape down well.

Lyn Friedman-kisney: Thank you for your wonderful support, I will try to live up to that :D.

Momkin: Hope this will be just as good.

* * *

The growl I let out of course made Thrawn look at me smiling coldly as he studied my stuff further. I was not happy with this, especially when he examined the stone, it was the one Garazeb and I had found on the moon, and it was a personal reminder of him. Thrawn did not deserve to have that stone, it was mine no matter what. It was the only thing I had to remind me of my decision and Thrawn had no right to just take like that. However, if he protested at this, it would draw even more attention to it, and I did not need to give Thrawn any more information. My growl before had certainly not helped things, it more seemed like it had made Thrawn even more interested than before, he most has realised he struck a nerve. It felt like forever before Thrawn finished the examination of my things and turned his attention back to them. I looked at him waiting for what would come next, I was sure I would not like it whether it was me or the rebels that would be on the receiving end of it.

"Governor Pryce you are in command of the fleet while I lead the ground assault" Thrawn said.

I could not believe what I was hearing, Thrawn was leaving? Surely, he would take his death troopers with him which could give me some much needed relieve. This might be my only chance of escaping and I could not help but hold back a small laughter, which of course hurt as some of my ribs, if not all of them, was broken.

"The plight of your friends amuses you?" Thrawn asked surprised, and pierced me with those red eyes.

"I have been in your position before, only to have the rebels to pull a victory from a certain defeat" I answered him.

It was true, I had seen that and hoped they could do it again, but I also said it because I didn't want to give away that I laughed out of relief.

"You and I are not the same Kallus, as these rebels are about to learn" Thrawn answered and walked on, taking one of the death trooper with him.

I sighted as I knew that he was right, Thrawn was much better at war fare than I was, he had shown that much and that make me fear for the rebels. Thrawn suddenly stopped, as he had almost reached the door at the end.

"You must be feeling better if you can laugh. Since you have so much extra energy I think you should stand up" Thrawn said.

I only barely managed to keep away a groan, when I was dragged my feet and my leg immediately started sending pain all through the lover level of my body, and my leg started shivering again. This time it was even worse than before, and I doubted I could remain standing for long. Even so, I had the slightest flicker of hope, when I saw that the other death trooper was changed with two regular white stormtroopers. I watched as Pryce stood on the bridge and I wondered if I could get her to send me away somehow. She was a woman that was ruled by her desire for power and her temper. She was horribly at making decisions if she was pushed too much, I had discovered that while working with her, she was a politician not a warrior. I stood there waiting for something to happen, a chance to do something, but it became increasingly more difficult to focus over time, as the pain and shaking became worse. Suddenly a lot of the officers on the deck became very busy and one of them reported.

"Governor we have incoming ship's" the officers said.

"Rebels reinforcement?" Pryce asked.

"Mandalorien by the look of it" the officers replied.

"Sabine Wren" Pryce almost snared.

My heart almost leapt with joy by the prospect of help to the rebels, that was what the ship that had gotten away had gone off fore. If I could make Pryce to make bad decisions and help the rebels that way, I had to try, I might even escape myself even though the last was unlikely as I could barely stand.

"Send fighters to intercept and move our capital ship to reinforce them" replied Pryce.

"You can't do that, it will leave open space for any rebel ship's coming from Atallon to flee" I told her.

For a short moment, I saw her eyes widen in fear as she saw that I was right, but then she also knew that the TIE fighters would be enough. At the same time, I doubted she wanted to be lectured on warfare by a traitor to the empire, and therefore do what she just ordered.

"Troopers, teach this rebel sympathiser to watch his mouth" Pryce snared to the storm troopers.

Before they could do anything, I felt to the ground as my leg refused to carry me any longer. It was painful and the shaking was just as bad, even though I was not longer putting weight on it. Suddenly I felt the pain of the taser on my back again, and I cried out as I was forced to go through it, without the relief of unconsciousness. I lounged for escaping the pain into the darkness of unconsciousness. The pain stopped, but suddenly he felt a hand on his left side of his stomach and pressed hard on my broken ribs, which made me scream as pain flooded over me. The pressure lifted after some time, but the hand remained, a clear sign to me that if I stepped out of line, the action would be replied. I tried to focus through the pain which seem to become harder every time, it was hard to do so but I managed to looked at Pryce, that already had shown signs of stress as she looked at the fight. I managed to focus enough to look out and find the source of her distress, the TIE fighters were not really holding up and I guessed that Pryce wanted to move to another position, but was unsure if she could risk it.

"Typical politician" I mocked her.

"Troopers I thought I had made my stance clear" she sneered.

I felt the pressure on my broken ribs and I tried to curl up as much as possible to protect myself from the pain, which made me gasp. Pain overflooded me and my vision seem to be white and I was unable to tell what was going on. I slowly came through but I felt like my whole body was on fire and my head seem to have a hard time on focus on anything, as my vision seemed to be blurry.

"Governor, the enemy fighters have deployed a strike team onto the hull of our Interdictor" an officer reported.

"Well, repel them! We will not lose to this rabble" Pryce shouted.

"You know it is usually easier for the personal if you give them instructions that is clearer, instead of stating the end goal" I managed to get out thorough my gitterned teeth.

"Shout up you traitor" she shouted storming over to me, kicking me over and over.

I tried to get away, but I was not allowed so, and so I could only accept it and hope she would stop soon. I barely had the energy to scream as it felt like thunder of pain spreading through my body, and my vision went all white but finally it stopped.

"I warn you traitor, not another word" she shouted before she presumably marched back to the windows.

All I could do was to lay on the ground trying to recapture my breathing, but it was hard and it was with great difficulty I managed to refocus again. The battle was heading up, as the mandalorien was fighting hard, I could only hope they would manage to destroy the interdictor, and suddenly I could feel a small wave in the ship, and I think I knew what this was about.

"Governor, we have a problem" the poor officer from before said.

"I don't want to hear it, just stop them" Pryce shouted clearly in a state of panic.

"Nothing gets through" Pryce said, all though I had a feeling it was more for her, than the officer.

"Thrawn's not going to be happy with you making a mess of his fleet" I mocked her further. "Throw this traitor out the airlock" she shouted, clearly in a state of panic.

My eyes widen when I heard that, and I almost wanted to fight back, but come to think about this might be better. If I could somehow get away from them, I could escape. They grabbed me and forced me to my feet, which sparked the pain to even greater height, and I could not hold back a scream. I felt a hand on my back pushing me and I somehow slumbered down to the elevator, even though every single step sent pain through my whole body. I closed my eyes and sealed my mouth shout to prevent another scream as the pain flooded me all over the body. I felt another push on my bag, and I saw that we were at the elevator and they pushed me in, and I almost collided with the wall before they stepped in. I had to lean against the wall not to fall, unsure of how I was going to make an escape in this state.

"Are we really going to throw him out the airlock?" one of the stormtrooper was asking.

"Are you mad? We will end up as him on the bridge tortured by the grand admiral, no we will put him in a holding cell" the other answered.

So, I was not going to die for now, all though it almost sounded better than staying with the torment going on, but I was not planning to stay at all. I suddenly got an idea to how to escape, all though it would heard like hell. I let out a cry of pain and let myself slump over and collapse into the first of the stormtrooper, which had his head slammed against the wall and we both collapsed on the ground, where I lay struggling for breath on top on the storm trooper. "Great, now I have to carry both of them" the other trooper. Just as he bends down to force me up, I managed to lift my leg and slam it into his helmet making him go limp to, just as I release a scream of pain. My leg was already broken and dislocated and now this? I could end up dying from the pain I felt over this, if I kept up this rate. I slowly managed to compose myself enough to place my hands near my feet, biting my teeth together trying to prepare myself for the pain that was to come. As fast as I could, I maneuverer my hands around my feet and I instantly felt pain floating through me, and I could not hold back a pain as my vision started to blur out _again_ , and I could feel the tears starting to run down my checks.

"Focus" I told myself through my gitterned teeth.

I tried to sit up but dizziness almost sends me to the ground immediately, and I had to take some deep breath before my vision cleared enough to see the bottoms. I raised my hands and pressed the bottom for the level with the escape pots was, hoping that no one would need use this elevator, and thereby finding me with two knocked out guards. Finally, the door opened and I was grateful to look out at an empty hallway. I knew I could not raise and walk, so I started to crawl using my elbows and my one good leg, I slowly came out of the elevator just as it closed and I felt the door slam into my only good foot, as pain increased and I screamed again. How had the entire fleet not heard me by now? Even so the door slid back up and I continued crawling down the hallway, even though tears powered down my checks, and every single movement hurt. At last I had managed to come to the escape pods, and slowly I got my trembling hands to raise up and push the bottom that opened the door to it. I gitterned my teeth once again as I used both my legs to push myself in and my vision blurred out again as I screamed over the pain.

"Come one" I sneered to myself.

My life was hanging in the balance, I needed to drag myself together and activate the escape pot. Even so everything was blurry and I could not even drag myself up to the seat, so I just focused on pushing the bottoms that it required to activate the pot. I screamed as I was jostled around the small cabinet, before it stopped. I took in a deep breath and rejoiced in the thought that I was now not on Thrawns Star Destroyer any longer. I tried to open my swallowed eye, but it would not so instead I tried to focus as, I pushed myself halfway up to the seat. There was so many ships flying around, but I knew which one I wanted, the Ghost. Suddenly I recognised it and I managed to move my hands to the control panel, pushing the bottom that asked for pickup and then I waited. The Ghost, would have to accept the transmission and to pick up the escape pod. I could feel my fear rose, would they accept it? The thought of going back to Thrawn because they denied me, scarred more than anything else I could think of.

"Please accept" I whispered.

Suddenly the computer biped and the pot started to work towards the Ghost, and I let go of the seat in relief. I curled up trying to ease my pain that still floated through my body as the pot moved rather rougly. All the suddenly a coughing fit evolved, and I could feel I spat something out, I could only guess it might be blood.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Zeb was sitting with Kanan and Hera in the cockpit, looking at the battle that was still going on, after their narrow escape of Atallon.

"We have an incoming transmission" Hera said with surprise.

That surprised him too, who would send a transmission at a time like this, it could not be Sabine and Ezra, they were already hocked up through their commlinks. So, if it was not Sabine and Ezra, and it was not any other part of the rebel fleet, that only left the empire meaning Thrawn … or Kallus.

"Hera accept it, I am pretty sure it is from Kallus" he told her.

She seemed to hesitate but she accepted it.

"Someone wants to be picked up" Hera said.

"There is an escape pot on my scope" Hera continued, and started to move towards it.

"Zeb call Dodonna and ask him to release the escape pot as soon as Kallus is out, also tell him to be careful, it could be a trap" Hera told him. He nodded and did so.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

General Dodonna walked to the cargo hold along with one of his people,e just in time to see the escape pot hatch. He slowly walked over to it and pushed the bottom to open the pot and careful looked inside to find it … empty? Suddenly a groan made him look down to the floor, and saw that agent Kallus was laying curled up, with his hands around himself, as if to try and hold himself together. He looked awful, like a Gundark had run over him several time with cuts, bruises and blood stain all over his body, and his breathing was swallow. The poor man must be in a lot of pain, even though he was unconscious. Then to his total surprise Kallus lifted his head a bit and looked out of the eye, that was not swallowed.

"Help" he whispered.

He moved in to help him out, while he struggled with one question, how was he even conscious when he was in such a state?


	6. Chapter 6

I am sorry but this chapter is rather short, time is hard to come by. There is also a little more point of views from other and that will continue. Next chapter a displease Thrawn returns to find no Kallus at his flag ship - watch out Pryce.

doodly-squad: He is though - but though enough to survive this? Hopes I got them all this time.

Cheion: Safe is a relative word.

Lyn Friedman-kisney: Well I think perhaps her role as guvernor is making hig high ranking to do such things or it is another attemp from Thrawn to get political connections.

Charm1355: Thanks and this is much more clifhanger than last tine.

* * *

Dodonna froze for a moment, while he tried to understand what he actually was looking at. A former ISB agent was trying to curl up as much as he could inside an escape pod, he was bloody and beaten everywhere as far as he could see. He had handled defectors before and never had he seen anything to this level of bad, and yet somehow the man was still conscious. He came to his senses and hurried in and started to help the poor man up, but found it to be a difficult job as Kallus hands was tied together. He then tried to get Kallus to stand by lifting him around his stomach, only receive a cry of pain.

"Wedge, I need your help his hands are tied so we need to carry him in another way than taking an arm each" he called outside, to the young pilot.

Wedge came in and his eyes widen when he saw Kallus.

"Oh my" he said and shuttered "makes you wonder if we had received the same treatment, had we not escaped thanks to him" Wedge said.

He looked at Wedge and nodded, it was the reason he had asked him for help, as he knew Wedge would most likely be friendlier towards the former agent, than most other being on the ship. He turned back to Kallus and half way threw him over his should, with Wedge trying take some of the weight by lifting his legs.

"We should get him in a bed and he is in dire need of medical treatment, but as soon as I get him out you have to release the escape pod" he told Wedge.

They managed to drag Kallus out of the escape pod where Wedge carefully let go of the agent. Even so, as Wedge released the escape pod, he could hear the man mourn out in pain over it, he took out his commlink and reported it to Captain Hera. Slowly they managed to half drag half carry Kallus through the ship and quite a few looked in shock at the agent, a few eyes was rather unfriendly, but most just winched at the beaten man. When they reached the stare up to the upper level he winched knowing this was going to be hard and painful. He slung the agent fully over his should and started to climb the letter, and Kallus apparently aware enough to understand what was going tried, not to move but even so he sometimes cried out when something in his body hit the litter. It was hard but finally reached the top, and he put him down while trying to catch his breath, Kallus was just trying to manage through the pain, which must be great judged by the closed eyes and many hiss and shallow breathing. Wedge came up and they instead tried to get him to stand but the man barely was of any help, even though he tried, but with a dislocated foot it was hard for him. They finally got to the sleeping quarts, when Kallus started to be able to focus a little more.

"Which one should we put him in?" Wedge asked.

"We will have to ask the crew where we should put him, so the cockpit first" he answered. Slowly and carefully the walked a little longer and then entered the cockpit, still with Kallus hanging over him.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

I had a hard time understanding what was going on, all I could tell was that I hurt all over the body, and that someone had lifted him and start to half drag half carry me out of there. I honestly didn't really care, I hurt too much, I just wanted the pain to disappear one way or another it was unbearable. Suddenly he felt a change in how he was carried and managed to open his eye and found he was carried up a latter, he tried to stay still but it was impossible to avoid not to bang into something, making the pain increase even more. Finally we reached the top and the man carrying me put me on the ground which made me which in pain. As we continued through the Ghost, I really tried to help them but my leg would not do anything which made it hard to do anything else than just get dragged along, I was so much in pain and so tired. I also started to feel thirsty as the managed to drag me through the ship before they finally came to the place they were taking me. The doors, I assumed was into the sleeping quarters for the Ghost members and I was confused, they would actually give me one of their beds?

"Which one should we put him in?" Wedge asked.

I remembered the young man that I helped escape from the academy, even though right now I did not think much of it.

"We will have to ask the crew where we should put him, so the cockpit first" Dodonna answered.

We continued very shortly over to the doors at the end and stepped in, and I manage to focus enough to see most of the Ghost crew meaning Hera, Kanan and Garazeb sitting in the cockpit, looking out of the window just as we jumped to hyper speed. I had seen the jump a lot of time, but rarely had it seem so beautiful to watch as right now. They had escaped, I had escaped thanks to them, they had taken me in. I noticed they all sighted relief before they turned to me, and their faces stiffed and showed shear horror, when they stared at me for a short time.

"Kallus what in the world did they do to you?" asked Garazeb.

I opened my mouth and tried to answer, when suddenly my whole body started to shiver from the violating coughing fit that started. This time I was positive it was blood I spit up, as liquid started coming out of my mouth, even though I had closed my eyes due to the pain. The shiver made me change position, which Dodonna and Wedge was unprepared for and we all started to tilt to the right. It was purely out of instinct that I tried to avoid falling, by putting weight on my right leg. PAIN! Pain flooded all over me and I screamed unable to hold it back, to do anything other than just endure. Suddenly I felt hands lift me and I was in someone's arms as my scream managed slow down to small cries. I could not take it any long, why would the pain not leave me? I just wanted to be left alone, free from the pain.

"Kanan his hand" I heard Garazeb call to Kanan.

I opened my eye, but I did not see anything in front of me, my blurry sight did not really allow me to see anything. I could make out shapes and shadows, but it was impossible to tell people apart. But I could definitely feel it, when the restrains around my hands loosened up and felt to the floor. I sighted in relief and could feel how blood started run out from the wounds there.

"Thank you" I managed to blur out through my teeth.

"Put him in my cabinet Zeb it is the warmest as it is close to the engine, and right now he needs it" I heard Kanan say.

I was carried out of the room and into what I assumed was Kanan's cabin and laid on the bed, and I could not keep a mourn back even though the fabric was rather soft.

"Karabast the blood has started to increase more intensely" Garazeb said as my vision clouded even more and my breath became fast and peached, more so than it already was.

"Hang in there Kallus, Kanan I need saline, water and any other medical supply we can get. I know we have other wounded, but we need some if we are to save him" I heard Garazeb say.

I started to cough again and pain sparked through my body and I just wanted to get away, away from this pain that only grew and grew. Suddenly the pain increased even more to unbearable levels and I could only cringe and sling my arms around myself, trying to hold it together. Then before I knew it darkness took me and just before I lost myself to it could hear someone shooting no.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Kanan could faintly feel when another present came into the ship, but it was so wrapped in pain and rather faint, that it was difficult to catch on to it. As he failed to catch on to the presence down below, he turned his focus back onside as the fight was still going on and they had yet to escape.

"The escape pod is pushed out" called the young man Wedge over the system, and we started to catch up to the other ships.

Suddenly I could feel three presences in the force just outside, and one of them was in deep and agenizing pain. The door opened and they walked in, just as we jumped to lightspeed and we all let out a breath of relief before he heard Zeb talk.

"Kallus what in the world did they do to you?"

He turned around to find a beaten and bloody Kallus, that looked like he had received a massive beating. He could not help but winch at this, as he remembered his own treatment and the hand of the empire, and Kallus seemed to have receive even worse. Kallus tried to answer the question, but it drowned in a massive coughing fit, as it not stopped he started to spit blood up, he was in dire need of help. Before he could do anything about it, Kallus tilted to the right and put his leg down exploding in a scream of pain. Zeb rushed forward and lifted Kallus up as he continued to scream before it went over in small cries.

"Kanan his hands" he called.

He extended even further into the force and did what he had done before to release the restrains and they fell to the ground. He could feel and "see" how blood started to drip down the floor, which told him it would have been sitting rather tight or he had pulled on them, possibly a combination of both. Kallus sighted in relief over them being gone, but it was clear however that it was the least of the man's worries, he was clearly in agonising pain and needed treatment.

"Thank you" Kallus blurred out, but he did not seem to really be aware of much.

His mind was filled with pain and he did not seem to be able to understand really much of what was going on around him.

"Put him in my cabinet Zeb it is the warmest, as it is close to the engine, and right now he needs it" he instructed Zeb.

The poor man deserved some privacy to, he was not in a state where he could handle if other rebels did not feel comfortable with him, and decided to put than into action. Besides from that it would also give him a chance to keep an eye on him, he was still unsure what had happened about Thrawn finding their base. The last time he had meet the agent he was actually helping them and he had helped Sabine, plus given them intel that they needed. Even so he had a hard time to trust him but "seeing" him in such a state made him feel sorry for him, and actually wanted to see him pull through and get into the rebellion. Zeb carried him into his cabin and put him on the bed, he could see Kallus which just for that little.

"Karabast the blood has started to increase more intensely" Zeb said and he turned over and saw that Zeb was right.

"Hang in there Kallus, Kanan I need saline, water and any other medical supply we can get. I know we have other wounded, but we need some if we are to save him" Zeb instructed me.

He left the room to get the stuff but I could hear Kallus starting to have a coughing fit, so I hurried to find out how medical supply could be spared and I got saline and some bacta and headed back, when I noticed a change in the force.

"KALLUS" he could hear Zeb scream from his bunk, and he started to run.

He bursted into the room where Zeb was trying to give Kallus heart massage, but already now I could tell that Kallus heart had stopped. If we did not get it started again and soon, the former ISB agent would indeed have made a huge sacrifice for the rebellion, and he would pay for it with his life.


	7. Chapter 7

The long waited update is here. Wow did you guys plea on behalf of Kallus I was kind of surprised by that. I do hope you will be satisfied with the new chapter. Also a huge shoutout to Ingnite the Stars she has become my beta reader and I am very greatful for that.

doodly-squad: I really hope you can see the improvement due to my new beta reader.

Cheion: I do hope your hug has payed off.

Lyn Friedman-kisney: Hope you don't think this was to long.

Charm1355: Hopes you like it, remember to keep an eye out for what we talked about.

Rabbit887: Here is your update, hopes you like it.

Ingnite the Stars: Will look over your notes when I have time, I look forward to sending you next chapter as soon as I can write it.

* * *

 _Thrawn walked up to the strange creature the like of which he had never seen nor heard of before._

 _"What manner of creature are you?" he asked._

 _"One beyond your power to destroy" the creature responded._

 _He pulled out his blaster and pointed it towards the creature._

 _"It would not seem so" he answered._ _He had not expected the response he got._

 _"You cannot see" the creature said and he stiffened "but I can" the creature continued._

 _What? What could the creature know? He had to know._ _"What, what do you see?" he asked._

 _"I see your defeat like many arms surrounding you in a cold embrace" the creature said._

 _His death? Was he talking about his death? He would not stand for it any longer and pulled the trigger. Suddenly instead of dying the creature just disappeared and the nothingness was laughing. Laughing at him._

He relived the memory again and again trying to understand what had happened? For once, he failed to understand. He did not enjoy the feeling. When you shot someone – no matter the race – they were supposed to turn into a corpse, not vanish into thin air while laughing at him. The words were even worse, they had spoken of his defeat, maybe even about his death? Everyone would die eventually but 'like many arms surrounding you in a cold embrace' sounded like a rather nasty way to go provided that it was his death the creature had spoken about. No matter the case he could not tell but perhaps the creature was right – he could not see – he had never really understood the force. Then again, no one fully understood the force, but it might be worth studying more so he might be able to protect himself. However, it left him with a problem. He needed both a Sith and a Jedi to tell about the different sides, and while he had access to Sith, Jedi was hard to come by. Even the Jedi Kanan Jarrus could not have been more than a Padawan during the purge. Even so, it was the closest thing he had to a Jedi so he needed him, which meant he needed to capture him and somehow make him talk. Torture would not provide results; the Grand Inquisitor had tried and failed that but perhaps if he captured Captain Syndulla and the Padawan Bridger he could convince him to talk in exchange for their freedom. For now, he had at least Kallus and hopefully soon the Rebel Fleet. His shuttle landed and he walked out, but he could already see that this was not position he had left his ship in when he departed, he wondered why. He immediately walked towards the bridge fearing the worst, he had yet to forget or forgive Governor Pryce's failure at catching the rebels at the nebula. Because of her and Admiral Konstantine, so many lives had been wasted and he could only hope she had not made another idiotic mistake. After all, he had handed her a fool proof blockade, she just had to hold it and then capture the rebels if they left Atallon. He reached the bridge where he found his people at their post and Governor Pryce, but no one else. He glared at her and walked over to her where in a very cold voice asked her.

"Where is Agent Kallus and the rebels Governor Pryce?"

"I uhm not here" she tried.

"I see that. Where are Agent Kallus and his guards?" he asked again.

"Uhm his guards took him away" Governor Pryce tried.

"I see that too. In that case you have precisely 10 minutes to find the guards assigned to him and get them and youurself to my office to explain yourself" he said in a cold voice before he turned around and walked to his office.

He was very careful of measuring the time and exactly 17 minutes and 32 seconds later Governor Pryce and two stormtroopers walked in.

"You are late Governor" he said. "Well Grand Admiral Thrawn it is …" she tried to explain.

"I am not interested in you excuses, now tell me exactly what happened after I left and don't leave anything out" he demanded.

"After you left rebels reinforcements arrived in the form of Sabine Wren and her fellow Mandaloriens. I had to move the fleet but Kallus kept being a distraction despite my orders to stay quite so I sent him away" she said.

Her position was stiff and he noticed she looked at the stormtroopers like she expected them to speak out against her. It was clear to him that there were things she did not tell him.

"Troopers is there anything that Governor Pryce has left out?" He asked them.

They both stiffened, clearly unsure of what to do captured between two high ranking superiors.

"Well Governor Pryce was about to rearranging the ships when Kallus actually warned her against it. He told her that it would leave room for the rebels to escape Atallon. It made Governor Pryce mad at him and she ordered us to make him silent. Despite our best effort to make him silent by keeping him in pain, he kept going on and on behind Governor Pryce's back about how she should be clearer in her instructions. When the Interdictor was destroyed he said that you, sir, would not be happy about her making a mess of your fleet. She snapped and ordered him thrown out of an airlock sir." One of the troopers gulped.

The trooper had clearly been around long enough to know that the Grand Admiral wanted details. Governor Pryce glared angrily at the trooper and seemed to want to stop the tale, but she was silenced by his hand.

"Did you?" he asked the stormtrooper.

The trooper's shaking shoulders indicated to him he was terrified by his cold voice.

"Well we thought you still wanted him around, so we intended to bring him to the detention cells instead" the other trooper continued, seeming just as afraid.

"And?" Thrawn asked not letting the man off the hook.

"Well he collapsed into me so that I hit my head and was knocked out" the first trooper said.

"I thought he had just collapsed, so I bent down to carry him when he managed to kick me in the head" the other supplemented.

"I see" was all the offered, as the two stormtroopers stood and waited.

"Troopers, while I don't like that you allowed the prisoners to escape, he shouldn't have been let out of sight with only you two to guard him. You were also correct to decide to bring him to a detention cell, and therefore, you will not be punished" he said.

The two troopers visibly relaxed.

"Sir, yes sir" the two troopers said.

They turned toward the door, but one of them turned to him before they reached it.

"Sir?" he said in an asking voice.

"Yes" he replied. "After we woke up we followed the trail of the traitor. It was not difficult due to the blood trail. I think he might have had his foot slammed in the door when he got out of the elevator, and by the looks of it he might have escaped, but I don't think he will survive for long. The blood trail was rather extensive and his wounds from the beating pretty bad" the trooper reported.

"How did you beat him after I left him and before he escaped?" he asked them.

"Well Governor Pryce wanted him to shut up so … we applied pressure on his ribs and we beat him up a few times" one of the troopers replied hesitant.

"I see, dismissed" he said.

He could see their shoulders slump in relief when they walked out of the door, he waited until they were out before he turned to Governor Pryce. She seemed to know she was in trouble, but clearly would not give up without a fight. How had he so completely underestimated her level of stupidity? Granted she was a politician but still he had handed her a perfect and easy situation. The worst part was he could hardly touch her, as she was a Moff and he desperately needed political connections. Even so, not punishing her was not an acceptable choice either.

"Governor do you know what the differences between an error and a mistake is?" he asked her.

She seemed surprised by the question before she shook her head.

"An error is something everyone can do, but it becomes a mistake when you refuse to correct it, like you did" he told her

"You can't talk to me like that, I am high ranking official politician and you need me" Pryce said.

"I do need political connections. We both now that, but I am not taking the fall for this when Grand Moff Tarkin calls for a report" he answered.

She paled at the mention of Grand Moff Tarkin. His words had barely left his lips before a call came through.

"Sir Grand Moff Tarkin wishes for an update from you" a voice said.

"Put him through" he answered as he sat down.

He looked at the holo image of Grand Moff Tarkin and noticed that Governor Pryce for once seemed rather nervous.

"Now Grand Admiral Thrawn, I trust you have good news" Grand Moff Tarkin said.

"I am afraid it is a mixed bag, at on one hand I managed to destroy fair amount of the rebel fleet, but sadly parts of it managed to flee and Agent Kallus managed to escape too, thanks to Governor Pryce" he reported calmly.

"How?" Tarkin demanded angrily.

"I will leave it to her to explain that part, then I can explain how they managed to escape Atallon all though not all lived through the escape" he answered.

He listened as Pryce rather reluctant retold her story with him filling the holes she had tried to leave out. He could see how it angered her when he corrected her, but he would have no let her diminish her part in it. At the end of it Grand Moff Tarkin did not look happy at all.

"I see Governor Pryce. we will discuss this later. Now, Thrawn, what happened down on Atallon?" he asked.

"I miscalculated. I had them within my grasp when I was … ambushed by a creature unlike anything else I have ever seen. It called itself the Bendu, and it apparently commands lightning if the storm it conjured is anything to judge by" he told and hissed lowly.

The unexplainable frustrated him.

"The Bendu? A creature that can strike with lightning" Grand Moff Tarkin said as he clearly had a hard time believing this.

"Apparently so, I advise that we stay away from this planet, it does not seem wise to go down there again. When I tried to shoot this creature, it disappeared into thin air and I am still unsure whether or not I succeeded in killing it" he said.

The other looked rather doubting of this but did not seem to want to challenge his story.

"I admit I have never encountered anything like that and you may find it hard to believe but you can ask any soldier down on Atallon and they will tell the same story" he told them.

"I see well you can write it all down in your report to me. In the meantime Governor Pryce you can return to Lothal and discuss your involvement in this, Grand Admiral Thrawn will continue his search for the rebels in your absence" Grand Moff Tarkin said.

"As you wish" he replied and Governor Pryce nodded and the call ended.

"You can't do such a thing to me" Governor Pryce snapped as soon as the call was finished.

"It is not me that brought this upon you. Governor, you wished to lead, I gave you an easy task and yet you still managed to not live up to it. I can only be grateful that people did not lose their lives like they did last time out at the nebula" he replied calmly.

"This is not over Thrawn" she snapped at him before she walked out the door.

He looked at the slammed door before he walked over and called forth his art collection, he had to see if there was anything about the Bendu in it, he had much to study.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Kanan was lost for words but only for a short second before he sprang into action out of pure instinct and training.

"Zeb, get the med droid and a heart starter, after that go see if Hera needs help" he told him as he replaced Zeb preforming the heart massage.

Zeb clearly wanted to protest, but the urge to help Kallus was stronger and he hurried up as Zeb left he started to do something he had rarely tried before. He tried using the force to start Kallus heart. The last time he had tried had been as a Padawan on a clone trooper whose heart had stopped. It had not worked then, but this time it had to. Kallus deserved a second chance and Zeb would also be deeply saddened if his friend died. Zeb had tried to hide it, but he had struck a friendship with Kallus when he had walked off that moon. It might not be a strong one at first, but it had increased as Kallus had continued to help them, and if Zeb could forgive him so could he. Slowly, he tried to use the force, to restart Kallus' heart, and get him to breathe but nothing happened. He prepared to try again when the med droid rushed into the room. He made room for it as it rushed over to Kallus and connected him to a heart monitor, that showed a straight line.

"What first aid have you been performing?" the droid asked with it's mechanical voice.

"I have tried to restart his heart and get him to breathe, but it has not worked" he reported.

"I have a heart starter which should do the job" the droid said.

"Wait before you do that you should know that he might regain consciousness when you restart his heart, and he might panic when he wakes" he warned the droid.

The droid moved into position as it answered.

"There is very low possibility for that happening"

"Normally yes but he was conscious until his heart stopped, which indicates that he might will regain consciousness if you manage to restart his heart" he protested back.

The droid applied the heart starter and stepped back as the electricity was sent into Kallus heart to start it. Kallus body jolted in response to the shock but the line remained flat, and Kallus was still unmoving.

"Upping the volt" said the droid as it adjusted the volt level.

"Come on Kallus" he gritted through his teeth.

A new round of electricity was given and they waited for a second, before the heart monitor beeped and started to show signs of the heartbeat. He sighed with relief before the heart monitor beeped another warning as the heartbeat became fast and unsteady. Suddenly Kallus opened his eyes and looked around confused and panicked taking short and swallow breaths.

"What, where, how?" he managed to gasp as the heartbeat raised even higher making the monitor beep in protest.

"Kallus easy. Please breath before you have a heart attack, your body can't take it" he said to trying to get him to relax.

None of that worked and his panic only increased. Kanan had to stop it. Kallus heart continued beating too fast. He doubted Kallus could survive another heart failure. He tapped into the force and concentrated on slowing Kallus heartbeat down to a healthier level and steadied his breath. It was easier now that Kallus heart was beating on its own. Kallus' breathing was still unsteady and shallow, but slowly Kanan managed to get it under control until the other man's gasps became slow steady breaths. Even so his panic was not easing and his heart kept beating too fast, although not at as fast as before.

"What, how, where, who?" Kallus tried again still rather panicked.

"Please Kallus try to calm down. I don't think you will survive you heart giving up a second time" he tried to smooth Kallus.

"I died?" Kallus screamed in a clear panic and his heart rate sped up despite his effort to control it.

"Kallus your heart, you have to stay relaxed" he tried to tell the panicked man.

He tried to get the heart rate down once again, but he made small progress as Kallus seemed to be in a state of pure panic he couldn't shake him out of. "Please no, no more" cried Kallus and tried to push someone away. Who was Kallus seeing? Or rather what was Kallus seeing? It was clear that he was becoming rather delusional.

"Can't you do something? He is going to kill himself keeping this up" he asked the med droid.

"I can sedate him but there is a 53% chance that it will not be a good solution, with the drug he has in his blood" the droid said.

"What drug?" he asked nervously.

"It is commonly called conscious" the med droid answered.

He swore colourfully only to have Kallus cry out 'stop' again to someone only he could see.


	8. Chapter 8

I am back. I am sorry it took so long but I was handing in my final thesis and sleep was not a luxery there was time for let alone writing. Also I have involved myself in a shared story my partner and I has just lunched so that is also taking time away. Anyway here it is. You will also have to settle with me for correcting gramma. I did my best.

doodly-squad: have tried to take it into account and I have learned a little.

Cheion: I do hope your hug has payed off.

Lyn Friedman-kisney: I hope it was explained better here.

Charm1355: Thank you so much. We are now officialy partners in crime ;)

Rabbit887: Thanks for the kind words. Let us see if I can do it again.

Guest: Well now you will se how Kallus experience this.

* * *

At first, I felt nothing but then the world exploded in pain and colours and I felt it like something was dragging me back. 'Why could I not just be allowed to be left in peace?' The pain only seemed to grow, as I opened my eyes. 'How could it hurt to open my eyes?' Everything was blurry and I could not really focus on anything. "What, where, how?" I managed to gasp. I felt like my chest was on fire, and I heard a monitor beep something.

"Kallus easy. Please breath before you have a heart attack, your body can't take it" I heard someone say.

I felt like I knew that voice, but even more pain flooded me and everything was blurry, so much that I could barely tell things apart. My mind was filled with a thousand thoughts, to many thoughts, and I could not understand what was going on. Was I in a cell? Had Thrawn decided to continue the torture? Who was that voice? Had I head it somewhere before? My breathing suddenly seems to slow down, but my breast was still hurting, along with everything else. Who was doing this? How where they doing this? All these thoughts, they hurt me, I could not handle it.

"What, how, where, who?" I tried again. I needed to know what was going on.

"Please Kallus try to calm down. I don't think you will survive you heart giving up a second time" the voice told me.

My heart giving up? A second time? Was that what it was? Thrawn letting me die and then have me revived? Wait I had died?

"I died?" I screamed in panic.

That was it, now I knew what had happened. Thrawn had won. He had captured the Ghost crew and decided to start torture me, as he had threatened to do. I recognised the voice of the Jedi Kanan. My breast started to hurt even more, but somehow my vision cleared. I could see Thrawn standing smiling coldly to me. I saw a glowing read iron in his hand, as he got nearer and nearer.

"Hold him down" Thrawn ordered.

Two death troopers grabbed me and started to punch me, again and again, before the iron was pushed to my skin.

"Please no, no more" I cried and tried to push Thrawn and the troopers away.

"Now Agent Kallus, do you have anything to say?" Thrawn asked me.

"STOP" I cried out.

"Oh no, you will tell me why you joined the rebels" Thrawn said.

Thrawn neared me with the iron once again and I tried bounce away, but someone was holding me, it must be the death troopers. I felt a pinch and screamed in panic, knowing that whatever they gave him this time, it could not be good. The iron got even nearer and I struggled even more against the hold, but they would not let me go. The only thing I seem to be able to feel was pain, it was ever so present. I screamed from the pain and panic, I could feel the tears run down my cheeks. When would this nightmare end?

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Zeb was not happy at all, he had been sent out of Kanan's cabin just as Kallus has gotten a heart stroke and now he was helping Hera looking after the rest of survivors. Zeb did not mind helping them, by providing first aid, what he did mind was the fact that he did not know. Zeb did not know if Kallus alive or not, and it was driving him insane. Hera raised from where she was treating a young human female.

"I will be back shortly, we need to duck" Hera said, and then she was gone.

Zeb treated the older human male as he felt the ship shake a little as they dodged to the other ship. Zeb bandaged up the wound and left, eager to see Sabine and Ezra. Zeb saw them as they came out of the shaft, and started walking towards the common room. To his surprise they were accompanied by a young male boy that resembled Sabine so much, that it could only be her brother Tristan.

"Glad to see you again, worried that we might not make it this time" Zeb grumbled before sending them a small smile.

Ezra sighted, and did not look at all like his energetic self, and Sabine also seemed down over their loses.

"Yeah, but at least we did make it like always" Zeb tried to lighten up their mood.

Zeb nodded to them.

"Come on. I am sure Hera wants to see you rather badly" Zeb informed them, knowing Hera would not want to be left out of seeing them.

Hera would most likely hug them to pieces, praising them for their help and meet Tristan. They two teens smiled at that and followed him to the cockpit, with the third following, clearly because he did not know what else to do.

"Wait Zeb where is Kanan" asked Ezra worried.

"In his bunker with Kallus" Zeb answered before he could think about it.

Zeb could have kicked himself when Ezra stopped right in his tracks staring in disbelief.

"Wait? Kallus! What is he doing here?" Ezra asked in a tone, that showed his dislike of this.

"He fled from the empire" Zeb decided to tell, in a tone that told them not to ask.

"Zeb how can you let him? How can you be sure we can trust him? We don't know if it is him that has told the empire where the base is" Ezra restored to him.

"Ezra I am sure Kanan knows what he is doing, now come one, Hera is waiting" Sabine cut in.

Ezra looked like he wanted to argue, but he let it rest at least at least for now, and they continued into the cockpit.

"Ezra, Sabine" did Hera call out in happiness and a second later both of them was embraced in a big hug.

Zeb could not help but smile at this and look to third human that also smiled a bit. Hera released both of them and turned to the third human.

"Hi, you must be Tristan, Sabine's brother" Hera said and extended her hand.

"Yes I am" said the young human, clearly unsure what else to say.

"Glad to finally meet and welcome to the Ghost" Hera replied.

Before they could say anymore, the door slit open and one of the survivors from Atallon hurried in.

"Zeb, Kanan needs your help" the woman said.

"Thanks" Zeb answered and was about to leave when Ezra brought it up again.

"Are you going to help Kanan or Kallus?" Ezra snapped.

Zeb stopped and paused for a bit, trying to get the better of his temperament. This was not what he needed right now; an arguing Ezra. They were all exhausted, tired and he did not even know if Kallus was alive. Zeb knew he would not be able to keep his temper under control, if Ezra continue with this.

"I am going to help" was all he said.

"You are going to help Kallus, seriously Zeb how can we be sure we can trust him" Ezra protested.

That was it, he had enough.

"What is _your_ problem Bridger? How much more do you want from him? Kallus helped Sabine at the Star Fighter Academy, he helped me survive on that ice moon, he has provided us with information and he has helped you and Kanan. All that time he never asked for anything in return, right now I don't even know if he will live, so yes now I am going to help him" he snapped and marched out and down to Kanan's room.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Ezra temperament boiled over as Zeb just marched out. Yes, Kallus had helped, but what about all the times Kallus had hunted them. Ezra had told Kallus where their base was and now suddenly Thrawn had turned up. How could they be sure Kallus had not told them. He stormed after Zeb, not listening to Hera or Sabine's call for him.

He followed into Kanan's room only to stop right in his tracks and look at Zeb, Kanan and … Kallus. That Kallus looked horribly and that was an understatement. Kallus was beaten, bloody and seemed to be in intense pain. Zeb had not overestimated when he said, he did not know if Kallus was even alive. There was a tube with saline running through it providing Kallus with it. The med droid was having a hard time keeping him from lash out at them. Kanan was clearly trying to control his heart rate and breathing but was having a hard time doing so. Kallus himself seemed to be in a state of panic as he often cried out to someone to stop or flat out scream from time to time. Some of his anger faded when he saw the man he had accused of giving them away, laying battered and beaten in front of him.

"Ezra good to see you" Kanan greeted shortly before he continued.

"Zeb I need your help. Kallus right leg is both broken and dislocated, we have to do something about it. We need to reset his foot or he will never walk properly again, he has already used it to much like this" Kanan said.

Ezra shifted his focus to Kallus right foot and saw that it was dislocated that must heard really badly.

Suddenly he felt the force work and he knew he must be having a vision. He was standing on a star destroyer, he did not know which one, but he saw Thrawn standing in front a hollo projector.

 _"We'll never surrender to you Thrawn" Hera growled through it._

 _"You misunderstand captain, I'm not accepting surrenders this time. I want you to know failure, utter defeat, and that it is I who delivers it, crushing down upon you" Thrawn answered back._

 _Thrawn then turned his head towards someone and he saw it was Kallus guarded by death troopers and one of them grabbed Kallus and slammed him to the ground and held him down. The other of the death trooper grabbed his leg and started to pull … the wrong way._

 _"NO" Kallus hissed and tried to get away, but to no avail._

 _"The best thing is that I could not have done so without agent Fulcrum, or should we call him Kallus?" he heard Thrawn say._

 _Kallus lifted his head and saw the rebels stiffen at this._

 _SNAP_

 _It could be heard on the entire bridge as his leg broke and Kallus screamed as pain must have consumed him. Kallus just laid there crying out, trying to get his leg away from the death trooper, but far too weak to push him away. Ezra had a good look at Kallus, and saw that he had been beaten repeatedly. Finally, the death troopers let go of Kallus, but he just laid on the floor trying to catch his breath, as his crying gradually stopped."_

The vision ended just as fast as it had started, and he was back and he could not help but shutter. Ezra now knew what had happen on the other side of the hollo projector. Despite his worry that Kallus was the one selling them out, he had to at least acknowledge that the man had suffered greatly, no matter what he might have done. Ezra shifted focus back to Kanan and Zeb which was in an argument.

"I can't reset Kallus foot without him having painkiller" said Zeb in protest.

"Normally he would have had some but he has drugs in his blood that makes pain killers dangerous to him" Kanan protested.

"Kanan he can die from so much pain" did Zeb say after a short break.

"What if stand ready with pain killer, if it becomes too much we give it to him and hopes it won't make things worse" Kanan offered.

Zeb nodded slowly and got in place while Kanan put a syringe with painkiller, right next to the bed.

"Ready Zeb?" asked Kanan.

"Ready" confirmed Zeb with a grim expression on his face as he was in place to reset the foot.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

I was so confused, Thrawn had been there with hot iron pressing it against me, but now I was suddenly back on the bridge with the death troopers again. What was going on? I did not understand anything.

"His leg, we have to do something about it" I heard a voice say.

Pure panic filled me, they would do something to his leg again. I had to get away, I had to flee somehow. What would they be doing? It was already dislocated. I tried to push myself away, but the death troopers hold me, so I could not move away. Strong hands grabbed my foot and started to pull. Pain flooded me even more than it already was in. I screamed and opened my eyes to see Garazeb and Kanan standing in front of me. That was all I could take in, as the pain only seam to grow and my screamed reached a pitch, I did not even think he was capable of. I tried to move away, but whoever was holding me would not allow me.

The pain grew even worse, but I had to stop screaming to take in new air. Suddenly my vision went white and I could not see anything. The pain in my chest seam to increase even more, it was like every beat my heart took hurt.

"Please stop" I begged as I faintly feel the tears running down my checks.

Then with one last ounce of pain I suddenly felt something in my leg as it slides back to its normal position. I cried out in relief before a new horror full thought filled me with dread, this was just done so they could continue torturing me. Suddenly I saw Thrawn stand looking at me.

"No please Thrawn no more" I cried out as he stepped towards me.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Kanan had to fight hard against letting Kallus push them away, as the man in a pure state of panic, as he tried to move away from the pain of having his leg reset. Kallus was screaming higher and higher as Zeb pulled the leg, in an effort to get it back in place. How had even vocals to reach so high a note? Kanan would not be surprised if everyone onboard could hear Kallus right now. Only when he was nearly out of breath, did he stop to gasp for air. before he continued screaming.

"Please stop" he begged faintly as tears was running down his checks struggling for breath.

A high PLOP could be heard as the foot hopped back into place, and Kallus made out a cry of relief, before he slumbered back in bed. Kallus seemed to steady, before he tensed up again.

"No please Thrawn, no more" Kallus cried out as he fought even harder than before.

Worriedly he checked the pulse, which was fast and far to unsteady, which confirmed his worries. Kallus was trapped in an illusion his mind had made, where Thrawn was there hurting him. The fact that he had been forced to live through everything, without even be able to black out, must have been more than his mind could handle. Kallus mind though he was still with Thrawn, and that this was torture, not help. There was only one way to help him, one he had hoped to avoid, but it was clear that he had to. He let out a sight.

"Ezra I need you to hold his hart and breathing stable. I need to enter Kallus mind and help him or he will be captured in that illusion of his" Kanan said.


	9. Chapter 9

Welcome to any new readers, and welcome back to the old ones as well. Sorry for the late update but at least I have my Master now. We are nearing the end, but is not yet there. Also Charm and I has been working a lot on our shared story so that has been taking time away from this. Anyway hope you enjoy the chapter. As always please review.

Lyn Friedman-kisney: Glad you find it intense. I think I have keep the pressure up in this chapter as well.

Rabbit887:I try all though I think I won't be running this for so much longer.

* * *

Ezra looked in complete surprise at Kanan. As much as he hated to admit it he was a little scared, besides surprised.

"Kanan what are you doing?" Ezra asked worried.

"I have to help Kallus or he won't survive this. If I don't help him a terribly fates await him, you have to help me, you must make sure his heart is stable.

"But Kanan he" Ezra started.

"Ezra he is in need of help and we will give him that. A Jedi do not turn his back on someone in need of help. If I do not pull this off he will die or worse live but have his mid shattered, does he deserve that Ezra? Do you feel Kallus deserve to die or live like this? Right now he is trapped in an illusion created by his own mind, were he thinks he is still with the person torturing him. If I don't break it the pain will kill him or leave him rambling incoherently, for the rest of his life" Kanan told him.

Ezra looked at Kallus laying in the bed whimpering and begging for it to stop, crying out. Not even he could feel it was right to condemn the man to such a fate. Ezra looked at Kanan that seemed to wait for an answer.

"No, I would not" Ezra answered in a low voice and looked down in shame, he had let his emotion dictate his words it is not what a Jedi was supposed to do.

Ezra shuttered as he remembered that it was the way of the Sith, to turn their back on people.

"What do you want me to do?" Ezra asked Kanan.

"I wish you to keep hold Kallus heartbeat as stable as possible" Kanan replied.

Kanan instructed him in how to do that before Kanan sat down to enter meditative state.

"Kanan .. I am not unfair in not fully trusting him? It is just that we don't know if he was the one to give the Empire the location of the base" Ezra pointed out, before his master could start.

Kanan looked at him and despite the mask he almost got the feeling that he could see into his eyes.

"If you don't trust him then you can do that, but you will help him and me. What I need to do is dangerous and can easily go wrong. I will have to enter his mind. Minds are delicate things. If something goes wrong I can end up destroying both his and my own mind. The illusion Kallus is trapped in hurts him, when I enter his mind it can hurt me to, the pain Kallus feel could enough to kill, if it goes really badly wrong it can kill both of us. Therefore, it is essential that you keep Kallus as stable as possible, if my heart start working too hard you will also have help me as well" Kanan answered.

Ezra was not exactly comforted by that, in fact his fears was worse, yet he forced them away.

"Wait what do you mean by destroying your mind's?" Ezra asked.

Kanan sighed before answering.

"If things go wrong, we will both end up with no minds. Leaving us as an empty shell, unable to form a coherent sentence for the rest of our lives. You would be left with the task taking care of people, who can only communicate through sound and signs, which won't even be understandable or coherent"

Ezra could feel the blood leave his face but before he could protest any further was Kanan sitting in a meditation form and started focus on the task at hand. Ezra knew he would have to help as well and started focussing on Kallus heartbeat, trying to get it to slow down the pace.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

I looked around and saw the windows of the star destroyer, with Thrawn standing in front of them. NO! He would destroy the rebellion.

"Tell me why did you join the rebels or suffer" Thrawn said.

"No" I said.

A taser was nearing me and I tried to get away, but somehow I was held there, how was that. I screamed, trying to ask Thrawn to stop, but my words seemed to drown and I could not form them. What was going to do? I had to get away. I had to try and warn the rebels, but I did not seem to get anywhere. Suddenly the death troopers were in front of me, and started to beat me up.

"Tell me" I heard Thrawn's voice.

"No, never" I screamed.

"Dislocate the foot" Thrawn ordered.

"Please no" I begged, before I could contain myself.

One of the death trooper grabbed his foot and starting pooling the wrong way.

"NO AARGH" I screamed as the trooper pulled.

What am I doing here? There was something I had to do, but I could not remember what it was. Flight route? Hyperspace jump? What was wrong? No, I had to …. Suddenly Thrawn came into view and punched me in the sides.

"Stop please, no" I gasped.

"Tell me" Thrawn snapped.

"No please, someone help" I called in desperation.

Suddenly everything changed and I was in the tower, I used to broadcast my messages. No Thrawn would find me here. I had to find a way to lead Thrawn away from here. I needed to destroy it before he could use it. Suddenly the two death troopers was there and started to beat me up.

"No" I cried out. I was slammed again and again.

I was not sure that I could take much more of this.

"Please someone help me" I begged.

"Kallus" did I hear someone call.

I looked up and saw Kanan stand in the doorway. What was Kanan doing here? How had he come here? Should he not be at the rebel base. The pain seemed to increase and the tower seemed to shiver. I was so confused, what was going on?

"Kallus try to relax, your body can't handle it" Kanan said. In that moment Thrawn moved forward and one of the death trooper moved in and started beating me up again. My pain increased further and I screamed. It felt like my chest was burning and it became hard to breath.

"Tell me why you joined the rebels Kallus" Thrawn demanded.

"Never" I told him. "Then let us see if you are willing to talk to save the jedi" Thrawn replied.

The other death trooper had gotten the hang on Kanan. The jedi struggled as the trooper started to beat him up.

"Listen Kallus relax it is not …" did Kanan shout before he groaned because of the pain.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Zeb looked worried at Ezra, Kallus and Kanan in the room worried what was going on. Kanan was working his force mumbo jumbo again, and it would hopefully help Kallus. But he was worried, what if it went wrong like Kanan had warned. Zeb did not want to lose two friends. Ezra was working on Kallus and Kanan, along with Kanan, how was that even possible? This while he could not do nothing but to walk around the room, trying being patient, which was not his best trade.

"Kanan no" cried Ezra out. "Ezra what?" he asked as he turned to face them.

"Kanan's heart beat is starting raise, he is hurt, I can feel it" Ezra said.

"Karabast" he grumbled.

Zeb was going crazy when they pulled out there Jedi mumbo jumbo and all he could do was to watch and wait. It was not sitting well with him being left out of the loop. Sure, he could go help with the other injured and he probably should but this was his friends, he needed to know that both of them would live. Ezra tensed even further and small beads of sweet started to run down from his face. It could only mean that the task was getting more difficult, he tried not to think on why that was.

"Come one you to you better make it both of you" he mumbled.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

"Kallus, Kallus listen to me it is not real" Kanan called to me before Thrawn slammed him in the side.

"Kanan help me please" I begged to him.

I did not care if I begged, I did not care if I sounded desperate, the pain only seem to build and I had to get away, somehow.

"Kallus please focus this is .." Kanan tried again as a death trooper slammed his head into the table and Kanan cried out. "Tell me Kallus. Tell me why did you join the rebels" Thrawn demanded.

"I have told you that I won't tell, you are smart, figure it" I spat back like I had before, wait had I done this before?

I was so confused. What was going on? Suddenly Kanan managed to wrestle himself free and ran over to me.

"Kallus listen to me, it is an illusion. You are safe, but you need to let go of this or it will destroy us both. Your mind can't handle this, your hart will give up while your mind tears itself apart along with mine" Kanan told me.

Before Kanan could say more he was grabbed and beaten repeatedly so Kanan ended up crying out.

"Let it go" Kanan called to me.

I screamed as the trooper reached for my leg.

"No, no, no" I cried.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Ezra was really trying to do as Kanan had instructed him and keeping the heartbeat on Kallus in control, but it seemed like Kallus was set on giving him a hard time. The man was tossing himself around on the bed ,calling out and crying every once in a while. His heartbeat was raising and judging by the looks of it, the pain was increasing too. Suddenly Kanan groaned and shuttered, like he too was in pain. Ezra focused on Kanan's heartbeat and to his great worries it to was rising. It would mean that Kanan was starting to get hurt.

"Kanan no" Ezra cried out.

"Ezra what?" Zeb asked as the lasat turned to face him.

"Kanan's heart beat is starting raise, he is hurt, I can fell it" Ezra said.

"Karabast" Zeb grumbled. Zeb seemed worried and for good reason and he tried to work on Kanan as well but with two people to look after. 'Please be okay' he thought to them.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

I screamed another scream and the pain increased. The death trooper had just broken my leg. Wait had he not done that before? Was both my legs broken? Kanan had told me to let go, that it was an illusion. If that was so, how could it hurt so much? 'Wake up, wake up, wake up' I tried to tell myself. Nothing happened.

"Let it go Kallus, let go of the illusion" Kanan called to me.

How? How was I supposed to do that? I was confused and the pain got even worse than it already was it like my chest was exploding. It hurt so much how could it hurt so much. "Enough" Thrawn said. The troopers let go of me and Thrawn walked over to Kanan. As Thrawn walked over to Kanan, the tower shivered even more and the floor started to crack. The pain grew and I screamed.

"Now I will ask you for the last time, why did you join the rebellion. Speak, or your Jedi friend will lose his life. Let us see if you truly have a heart of a rebel" Thrawn said. The death trooper was forcing Kanan to sit upright and took a taser up.

"Kallus you have to let go" Kanan screamed

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Zeb was sure he would soon burn a whole in the ground, with the level of pace that he was walking back and forward with. Ezra was worried, Kanan had started to groan and Kallus cried out once in while. This while he was no closer to being helpful, than he was before this circus had started.

"KANAN, KALLUS, NO" screamed Ezra suddenly. Kallus and Kanan both cried out at the same time before they collapsed and went completely still.


	10. Chapter 10

I know this is late, VERY LATE but my new partner in crime Charm 1355 and I have been writing a shared story Lightening the path which I hope you will check out. I have sad message to you the end is upon us. I have finished the story. There are no more chapter but this, as I don't feel I can write more without going in circles. Thanks a to all you wonderful readers, a special thanks to those who reviewed and thanks for all the support.

* * *

I fell, Kanan fell, everyone fell, what was happening?

"Kallus, let go on your pain or your mind will destroy both of us" Kanan screamed to me.

"How?" I screamed.

"Reach within and let go of your pain" Kanan screamed.

I tried to focus, but it was difficult when you were falling. I closed my eyes and reached within but I found nothing.

"Concentrate, relax" Kanan told me.

I tried to reach further within and there I suddenly felt it. I was filled with pain, not just physical but also mental, I hurt. I opened my eyes and saw that it was only Kanan and me know falling in a seemingly endless hole that only contained of darkness. 'Let go' Kanan had said … how? It was like that he sensed my question.

"Reach within let go of the pain" Kanan called.

I closed my eyes and tried to do as he had said. I was immediately flooded with pain. I screamed, it was like trying to let go of the pain only made it worsen. Even so I tried to let go of the pain, but it was not easy. Slowly the pain started to leave me. All the suddenly Kanan and I landed on the ground hard. I groaned but then noticed something else, the pain had dimmed, I did not hurt as much now that I was finally aware of the pain.

"Well done Kallus. I just don't hope your mind has taken to much damage. It was literally trying to tare itself apart" Kanan said.

I looked at him with worries and confusion at him and even a little bit of shame. After all this was a man that I brought in for interrogation and later torture and when I had tried to help them I had sent Thrawn straight to the base.

"You have questions and you feel guilt" Kanan said as a matter a fact.

I glared at him uneasy, Jedi force abilities had always been a mystery to me and I did not like it when they used it on me.

"Easy Kallus I am not here to hurt you" Kanan said right on que.

"How do you know these things? How can you see? What is going on? How are we here? How did you get here? Kanan please I am so confused" I blurred out before I managed to control myself.

I hated myself for sounding so weak and unmoving, and even … I winched a bit like Bridger when he threw a million question at people.

"Easy Kallus you need to try to relax this stress is not good for you. To answer you I can sense your emotions so I know how you feel. You are scared and confused and therefor very jumpy right now. I can see because this is happening in the mind, it is just images inside your brain nothing more. I entered your mind because it was tearing itself apart and you were in dire need of help" Kanan answered calm.

I thought about for a few minutes before my shame took over me.

"You should not have done that. I don't deserve your help" I said in shame.

"And why is that Kallus?" Kanan asked calmly.

"Because it was my fault Thrawn found you" I said and looked down in shame.

"How?" Kanan asked me carefully.

"I found out Thrawn had called a meeting I wasn't invited too. I spied on it and found out that Thrawn knew about the planned attack. I decided to warn you but it was a trap. Thrawn found me and caught off my signal so nothing went through, I am sorry" I said looking down with shame burning in my cheeks.

"You did not know it was a trap Kallus. You tried to help us and you did. Had it not been for you we would have done the attack and then there would be no rebellion left. We can't beat him in open battle as we found out when he attacked us on Atallon" Kanan argued.

"No, you don't understand he found you because of me. Thrawn traced my signal and then crossed it with the flight pattern of Dodonna's fleet it is all my fault" I said angrily and full of guilt.

"It seems like it was with good intensions you made your way and it did work Kallus. Some of your message went through giving us a small warning. If not for that we would have been slaughtered by Thrawn" Kanan protested.

"How can you defend me for leading Thrawn to your base?" I protested angrily even though the anger more came from guilt than being angry at the Jedi.

"I am just pointing out what you apparently cannot see yourself" Kanan answered. I rolled my over the choice of word but I did not really wish to speak against him. After all I had been doing horribly things to him. Why would the man even defend him? Suddenly the ground started to shake a bit.

"Kallus stop, your guilt is close to consuming you. As I said your mind is overreacting and tearing itself apart. You must stay relaxed" Kanan said.

I look around and nodded and tried to slow down the breathing trying to do as the Jedi suggested. As I got more relaxed the ground stopped shaking. "Better" Kanan said.

"I still don't understand why do you help me? I just told you that I lead Thrawn to your base" I protested.

"Kallus you tried to help us and as I said had you done nothing we would have been slaughtered by Thrawn why won't you see that?" Kanan asked quietly.

"I .. I can't. I don't deserve after everything I have do to all of you, what I did to you in that room" I mumbled.

Kanan looked at me for a long time before he spoke again. When he did he extended his hand to me.

"Come on Kallus. I think you should see what I went through after you left" Kanan told me.

"Why?" I asked confused.

"I want you to know exactly what you did and did not do" Kallus answered me.

I was hesitant to follow, but I got a feeling that this was not really something I had a choice in.

"Okay" I said.

I took his outstretched hand suddenly I found myself a long hall filled with doors.

"How? Where? What?" I asked surprised.

"I have taken you to my mind because I want to show you a small piece of what they did to me when I was captured and after you left" Kanan answered me.

"I can guess pretty well myself. Why do you wish to show that to me? I would think that it is painful for you" I protested.

"It is but there is something I want you to observe" Kanan replied.

Kanan opened a door and screams of pain filled the hall as we stepped into an interrogation room where Kanan stood strapped to an interrogation table with the Inquisitor letting his lightsaber run up and down of Kanan. My eye's widened as I saw this, this was not standard interrogation. I had been present at several interrogations, some had involved torture but never to the extent where you exposed people to burning their skin off.

"Any information?" Grand Moff Talkin walked in asking.

The Inquisitor stopped making Kanan stop screaming but whimpered and fell forward in his restrains.

"None, I truly starts to believe he doesn't know anything" the Inquisitor replied.

"Or perhaps your methods are just not strong enough. I suggest that you up your game. I don't care what remedy you use just get this so called Jedi to talk" Tarkin snapped and walked out.

The Inquisitor walked over and activated the metal rote and upped the volume, my eyes widen when I saw what he dialled in.

"Last chance Jarrus" the Inquisitor said to the trapped Kanan.

The trapped version of Kanan did not say anything, just stood at the table trying to catch his breath. Then the electricity sparked to life and Kanan screamed and pulled desperately trying to get away from it. Suddenly the man felt unconscious and everything turned black and we stood in the hallway again.

"Wait what happened?" I asked confused.

"It was my memory so with me out cold, we can't see anything else from it" Kanan said but I noticed how pale he had become.

"Tell me Kallus, what did you just saw?" Kanan asked after a short break. "I saw you being tortured fiercely by the Inquisitor and on the orders from Tarkin" I answered.

"Good, anything else?" Kanan asked.

I looked confused at Kanan unsure of what he was asking about.

"No I didn't see anything else" I said confused.

"Exactly" Kanan replied.

"I am not sure that I follow" I said.

"I was tortured by the Inquisitor, not you, it was ordered by Tarkin, not you. Even back then you tried to be decent. You tried to talk me into giving up the information and giving me a truth serum. There is a long way from that too torture" Kanan said.

"That doesn't excuse what happened here" I replied confused.

"No but it tells a story about a man who did what he believed was right and tried to avoid being corrupted in a place where, so many has given in. That was why you were willing to change your perception and help us, was it not?" Kanan asked me.

I was a bit taken back by the comment and was not sure how I could reply to that remark. "Listen Kallus your future is changing and very uncertain, you need to let go of the self-blaming. I am talking from personal experience when I say it doesn't help" Kanan continued.

"I assume you mean the fall of the Jedi order" I said carefully, knowing it was most likely a touchy subject.

"Indeed. I blamed myself for it. I kept thinking what I might had been able to do differently. I wished I had stayed with my master, so I would not see her die because of me" Kanan replied in a low and sad voice. "My whole way of living gone in matters of days, my master killed and suddenly I was an enemy of the state. I dared not sleep afraid someone would find me and hand me over to the authorities. To survive I started stealing and going into the criminal underworld. Your kind of can't get a normal job when you are wanted. Through it all I could only think of how much it was my fault. I tried to drink the pain away and yet the more I drank the more I seemed to think on her. Always asking why? Why did I live? It should have been her to survive, not me and without me she would have. It was first when I meet Hera I finally turned around. She managed to convince me there was another way of living" Kanan told me.

I thought about what he had said to me and he seemed to just stand their waiting for me.

"You think I blame myself like you do and should try to make peace with it" I concluded.

"Well I hope you will, but it is up to you. Only you can forgive yourself. If you wish so then you can blame yourself that Thrawn outsmarted you, and found us for the rest of your life, or you can see it as you tried warn us and because of that we weren't massacred" Kanan replied.

I looked thoughtful at Kanan. I had to admit he had a point. I could tell he understood where I came from and how hard such change could be. As I stood reflecting on this I also started to see how similar we were. We were both educated for war, both had our would turned upside down, both struggling to adapt, and both has suffered for our belief. I then reflected on what he had said about forgiving of myself. It was true that I had tried to warn them but it was also true that I had lead Thrawn to them. Perhaps I was not willing to forgive myself that just yet but perhaps I could work towards earning my own forgiveness by helping the rebellion. At least I had to admit that self-blaming was not helping.

"Thank you I replied softly.

"You are welcome" I replied.

"You are welcome after all I kind of knows what you have been through. We are a bit alike" Kanan replied to me.

I nodded my head in agreement as he confirmed my suspicion of why he was willing to talk about his experience despite it being painful. Kanan could relate to what I was going through.

"Now if you are ready, you should wake up. Zeb is very worried, and Ezra must be tired of trying to keep our hearts steady" Kanan said.

"What do you mean that Ezra is trying to keep our hearts steady?" I asked confused.

"Ezra has tried to keep our hearts at a steady rate to prevent us from dying" Kanan explained. I stared shocked at him.

"I can't imagen he would do that for me. I doubt he is happy with that task" I replied.

"No but he accepted the task even if reluctantly" Kanan replied to me.

"Then I better say thank you" I replied sighting. Being in debt to Bridger did not set good on me.

"Now focus and try to find your way back" Kanan said.

I closed my eyes and was suddenly whirling through a colourful maze before everything turned black.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Zeb was sure that he would soon burn a whole through his walking, which would not please Hera, but he could not help it. Kanan had been crying out but then it had passed only for him to sit completely still, while Kallus had been laying on the ground and he neither had made a sound or noise. Ezra had confirmed that they were stable, but it just not did anything to keep his worries down. Finally, Kanan started to stir before he woke up and started to stretch. "Kanan" he greeted in relief. Kanan smiled to him reassuringly.

"Kallus should be awake very soon, but he will be in a lot of pain" Kanan told him.

"Thanks" he said. All three of them turned as Kallus made a low growl.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Ow it hurt, everything hurt. It was excruciating painful to return to conscious, but I finally managed to do so. I opened my eyes and found Zeb, Bridger and Kanan staring at me. I tried to say something but all I got was a painful mourn.

"Easy Kallus, you need rest. You are badly hurt" Zeb said in a worried voice.

"I know, but I need to talk to …" I tried before a coughing fit interrupted me.

"Talk to who? Who are you going to talk to? To betray us?" Ezra growled.

I glared at the young man, even though his question was not entirely unexpected or unfair.

"No … but your safety standard is somewhat lacking. Thrawn found you … because I tried to warn you and he traced my signal and crossed it with Dodonna's fleet …. which he was able to because there was no safe jumps … to avoid such things" I replied all though I was having a hard time to catch my breath.

Kallus, Zeb and Ezra all stared at me.

"Okay I get Dodonna, but after that you need rest. You are still far from well" Kanan said and left the room.

As Bridger mumbled something that could be understood as an apology and I … gulp thanked him, he left too leaving me with Zeb.

"Glad you made it" Zeb said.

"Me to. Thank you, Garazeb Orrelius" I replied.

"Just Zeb Kallus" Zeb said.

I smiled at that and Zeb smiled back before he left and I leaned back and tried to rest before I would meet the rebel leader. I was not ready to forgive myself as of yet, but perhaps I could take the first step to do so with this meeting. With this happy thought I leaned back and waited with a small smile around my mouth.

* * *

A/N Question for you my dear readers. Would you be interested in a similair story for Kanan set during Rebels Resolve and Fire Across the Galaxy. I am thinking about it but don't know if people would be interested.


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